Old Hallow's Eve Hell
by LionofPerth
Summary: Some odd ideas I had when it came to other options for Xander to go as during that particular Halloween. Hopefully they're a little different. You'll have to wait till next October to see the ones I'm working on now. In honour of the month, more!
1. Murder

Xander was not a stupid person. He considered himself the entire opposite, however even he wondered at his intelligence at dressing as an evil god of murder. He looked at Glory, who seemed to be even angrier than she was before the fight started a few days, or months ago. He was no longer sure how much time passed, dimensional time keeping was not one of his talents.

_Why does it have to be me?_ Xander thought. _And she's...he's...it's not changed form for a while now too._

* * *

'Come on Xander, you'll like this new shop,' Buffy called, pulling Xander into the store.

'I've already got my costume,' Xander complained, and was almost pulled off his feet by Buffy.

'Well, have another look,' Buffy said, before a dress caught her attention.

'Buffy,' Xander complained, before Willow appeared at her side.

'What's this?' Xander asked, spying a set of black leather pants, and a dark open jacket. A sword in a sheath hung from the some hanger the jacket was on, finally a pair of boots sat with the leather pants. A cough behind Xander surprised him. He turned around to see a man who reminded me of Giles in a few ways.

'Is there something I can help you with?' he asked.

'Who are you?' Xander asked, his own version of the Slayer sense tingling.

'I'm Ethan Rayne, the fine owner of this store, is there a costume I can help you with?' Ethan asked.

'I suppose so,' Xander replied slowly. 'This costume here, what is it?'

'Ah yes, that costume, one I've had for many years. Perhaps you are interested in hiring it?'

'I might be,' Xander replied honestly. 'I like the look of it.'

'Perhaps, fifteen dollars for the night?' Ethan asked.

'That sounds good,' Xander replied, reaching for his wallet. He paid Ethan and collected the items from the clothes rack. He had just the shirt to go with this.

As the sunset Xander finally arrived at the Summers home. He knocked on the door twice. Joyce looked at him, dressed like a medieval rogue or similar. The sword on his hip was a long sword, with a strange icon in the middle of the pommel ring. It was a skull surrounded by what looked to be drops of blood. She looked at the jacket, open, over a white shirt underneath it, plain, yet well made.

'I like the costume Xander,' Joyce said, letting Xander into the house. He stepped into the house, seeing Buffy walking down the stairs, in the dress she had got from the shop.

'You look good,' Buffy said.

'Thank you, so do you,' Xander replied. 'Shall we be off to escort such fine examples of today's children?'

'Yes, we better, the Troll...' Buffy started.

They quickly arrived at the school, Xander giving his own little pep talk to the children before they set off. He felt a cold wind suddenly appear, though the night was still quite warm. Something in his costume awoke and he knew no more.

* * *

Bhaal looked around, before sighing. He was sure he'd been killed, but it doesn't seem right. He smelled the air, far dirtier than what he was used to. He stretched his arms, wondering how such a feat was possible. Bhaal shut his eyes, looking around with his magical senses tingling. Something was in the air, and he liked the feeling. He found a large well of chaotic energy. He simply wished to be closer to it, and he appeared in front of a store, one marked costumes.

Bhaal snorted loudly. _Mortals will never understand magic!_

He pushed on the door a few times, seeing it was locked before he just pushed again, this time all of his strength behind it. The door shot into the store, the hinges ripping the wood of the frame. He walked straight forward, feeling the magic in the air. He pushed the curtain aside and looked in, seeing a man in almost cleric robes with a stone bust of a man with two faces. The man was chanting in Latin, his eyes shut for the moment. He looked at Bhaal for a second, then froze. He then started trying to speak, but only managed to stutter incoherently.

'Janus, I think we need a chat,' Bhaal said calmly. 'Your priest is starting to annoy me.'

The rear face of the stone bust starting to frown, before it looked at Bhaal. 'Bhaal... you died.'

'I know,' Bhaal replied. 'Though I'm happy to be alive again.'

'They won't be happy at this,' Janus countered, before the other face spoke. 'Stop gibbering you fool.'

Ethan Rayne became very quiet.

'I think I need to break the spell. I don't want _them_ making life hard.'

'Oh yes, forget about me,' Bhaal said, before something called him away.

'Done,' Janus gloated, looking at a very confused Xander. 'You boy, leave.'

Xander walked out, something felt very wrong, and he needed to work out what it was. He didn't notice the fact that five vampires ran away from him, at full speed.

* * *

The Judge looked at the Scooby's. He pointed to Xander who was lounging against the counter. 'You are not human, nor demon.'

'I'm something else,' Xander drawled. He cracked his knuckles before pointing at the Judge. 'And you're ugly.'

'You dare insult me mortal?' The judge growled out, before sending a solid beam of lightning towards Xander. It struck him, then vanished.

'That tickled,' Xander said, smirking evilly. 'You had your turn.' Xander looked bored for a moment, before a black spectral sword appeared in front of the Judge.

'No weapon forged can kill me,' the Judge gloated briefly, before the sword bisected him, his two halves dissolving into nothing.

'Not forged, was it?' Xander asked metaphorically.

* * *

Xander stormed into the Library, almost shaking with rage. His eyes were like trapped cyclones, desperately lashing out at anything that they could destroy. He was the embodied of the wrath of angry god, literally and metaphorically.

'What happened to Kendra?' Xander asked angrily. Willow paled slightly, while Giles blinked a few times.

'We don't know, she must have gone after a nest of demons,' Giles said, now shaking slightly.

'Where?' Xander growled out. He felt some muscles twitching. Ones he was sure no human should have.

'We guess around here,' Giles said, now as white as Willow, pointing to the map on the table.

Xander nodded, before he disappeared, appearing in front of the tunnel, the overpowering smell of human blood clogging his nostrils. He stormed forward, changing shape as he entered the tunnel, the creatures within first laughing at what appeared to be a human, then their shrieks of laughter turned into terror, as the true form of the Slayer was unleashed.

* * *

Paul was a reasonably new vampire in Sunnydale, and he heard the rumours about the man who wasn't a mortal. He'd decided to follow the Slayer smell he picked up a few streets ago, before he saw the one he was told to avoid entering the tunnel. He would have stopped, and turned around, but the thought of even trying a drop of Slayer blood banished whatever intelligence he had into the deepest corners of his mind. The closer he got to the tunnel, the more of the screams he heard, and he guessed it was the one he was told about being killed. He finally reached the mouth of the tunnel and stopped, now smelling a lot more blood. He licked his lips in anticipation, his fangs emerging. He looked up into a single pair of bright demonic eyes, before a clawed hand pierced his chest, the last thing he heard the roar of a predator in mourning.

* * *

'Is this the place you're staying?' Xander asked Faith, the new slayer going by his magical senses.

'Yeah, there a problem with that?' Faith bit back.

'You're not staying here,' Xander replied.

'Why not? You think you can stop me doing what I want?'

'No. The whole place is one giant vamp nest. Yes, I know, you'll dust them all, by yourself, it's just...' Xander started.

'What is it?' Faith asked. She looked at Xander for a moment, just at his body, if she was honest with herself. She was pretty impressed with what she saw too. He had a nice figure, yet still had plenty of definition in his physique. There was also something about his eyes, they drew her in and she didn't admit it, not even to herself, she liked the feeling of being overwhelmed they left her with.

'I actually like you, you're better than the others are, got a bit of kick,' Xander said, turning the car around, then driving back towards the middle of Sunnydale. 'How'd you like to share with me?'

'Thanks, I guess,' Faith said, now feeling a little lost. She knew alot about men, and slept with her share of them, none of them ever said that about her.

The more time she spent in Sunnydale, the more she was confused. She trained with Xander for a while, before she started on the Council approved program set by her exceedingly useless Watcher, Wesley. She also kept up with what Xander had taught her, and martial arts schools were the second easiest thing to find in Sunnydale, funeral homes being the easiest. She couldn't believe Xander was not entirely human, like what Buffy and Giles seemed to think. The way he was described was like some kind of evil god, one who seemed to thrive on murder and death. She looked at the house she shared with Xander, wondering just what drove his parents away. She used her key, a concept which still seemed a little odd, to enter the house, before grabbing a beer from the fridge. She saw Xander just sitting on the ottoman, deep in meditation. He looked at her and smiled, the same presence in his eyes overwhelming her.

Halloween finally rolled around, and she found herself pulled into a Costume party with Xander. She wondered why he seemed to be so against the idea of a costume party, but she remembered the stories told of the Halloween a few years back, and how some people become their costumes. She shook her head, glad she had found her costume quickly, the man who ran the store was a little odd to her senses. When the time to get changed finally rolled around, she showered, and dressed in the costume, a white robe with a long slit up one side, with an ornate bodice she could barely fit in. She liked the look, white on white, with snow crystals sown into the gown. She was about to leave her room when something entered her mind, and she saw nothing. A second later, her consciousness was so suppressed no trace of her even existed within her body.

* * *

Xander groaned, the same thing had happened this Halloween as the one that gave him the powers of Bhaal. He pushed the hair in his eyes out of the way, the normally dark locks Faith had now were tipped with a platinum white. He looked around, seeing they were in his room, and more importantly, their clothes were on the floor by the bed. For a moment he saw someone apart from Faith, and wondered if he'd somehow gained more knowledge that Bhaal had.

'Bhaal?' Faith groaned.

'Auril,' Xander replied automatically, before he smacked his forehead. 'Ao is not going to be happy.'

'He's not the only one,' Faith said, then paused. 'You called me Auril?'

'Yes I did, and you called me Bhaal,' Xander replied. He explained what he thought had happened, which of course, made no sense to Faith, while the knowledge that Auril had certainly passed on to her started to seep in. Before Xander knew it, Faith was completing his sentences, talking about the god of chaos of this plane, Janus.

* * *

The Mayor stood on the stage, then started the transformation, then stopped as his arms and legs were about to enter his body. He saw that two people looked bored, very bored. He roared at them, continuing the transformation. He saw none of the vampires he recruited for his ascension in the room, a tiny doubt entering his mind. The man seemed to yawn before the vampires entered the hall, all of them following his orders. He looked at the woman, and the first time in his long existence, knew fear. The woman had tips of a pure white in her hair, and suddenly as the last student was dragged from the hall, the temperature dropped. At first it was only a few degrees a second, then it accelerated. Pools of liquid oxygen appeared, the Mayor struggled, but his body moved slowly, and soon enough, the temperature could only be measured on the Kelvin scale.

Xander looked bored at the now serpentine form of the Mayor before he looked at his partner. 'Did you have to really freeze him like that?'

'Yes,' Faith answered coldly. 'You told me to see how far I could take it.'

'Yes, I did,' Xander muttered, before he looked around, seeing the pools of now frozen oxygen and other gases. 'At least we can deal with him now.'

'What do you have in mind?'

'Tanar'ri or Baatezu?'

'Leave him for Asmodeus, or Demogoron, apparently they've been quite bored,' Faith replied calmly, then polished her nails on her form fitting shirt, white of course.

'If that's what you think,' Xander said, opening a gate to ninth level of Hell in another plane. He pushed the frozen body of the Mayor through the portal, with a note attached to an icicle.

* * *

'When do you think you will win mortal?' Glory growled at Xander.

'When do you think I would win? About now, hit her,' Xander said, looking past Glory and straight at Faith who grinned evilly. A great pillar of ice shot up from beneath Glory, trapping her with in it, then the world around them shifted, taking them to the coldest section of the Abyss they could think of. Demons scattered in fear as the two deities and one deity in ice arrived.

'We don't like it when you try to take it out on our Key to the Multiverse,' Faith said, her stance emphasizing her bust. 'Xander, I have some needs that could do with being ful_filled_ now.'

'I live to serve,' Xander said, as the world again shifted, time, it was the master bedroom of the house they shared.

* * *

The First Evil looked at the two beings in front of it, and backed away slowly. It tried to look passive, but it was hard, considering what it was.

'Here's the deal, you leave, disappear, and don't even think about coming back, and we won't hurt you... too much,' Xander said, the same sword he got with the costume in his hand.

'Why do you even bother?' Faith asked, in her hands a staff made of pure ice. She looked at it for a moment, before it changed shape, now a large pole axe in her hands.

The First Evil looked at the portal which had appeared behind it and jumped in. It shuddered in fear, finally meeting things that were far more powerful than it was, and perhaps, more evil.

* * *

Angel looked at both Faith and Xander glaring at each other. He was sure a fly flew between the pair, but it didn't reach the other side. It probably made it about half way through, then just fell towards the ground, surrounded in a layer of ice. He heard it hit the floor, before he saw the vast number of demons around him and the others. He could see Wesley and Cordelia, who just got up after Xander told her to wake up in a language only Wesley could understand. They were standing back to back, their swords out in front of them. Gunn and Fred were in a similar position, though Gunn had taken an axe, while Fred was holding a khopesh. He finally looked back at Faith and Xander, their glares shifting to the demon horde that faced them. He could feel something in the air, something that said there was normally going to be a big fight, maybe even the end of the world, but for some reason it might not be today.

'Why didn't you tell me?' Faith growled out.

'I didn't know till just then,' Xander bit back.

'You could feel this much death coming? You're losing your touch!'

'I can't even feel your magic!'

One demon stepped forward, ready to attack. 'Who said we were talking about you?' Faith and Xander yelled simultaneously, the demon dropping dead, and covered in ice. Gunn shuddered, seeing the icicles that had appeared on the inside of the ice coffin, all of them tearing through vital areas.

As one, the demon horde looked at the pair, deciding three gods against them might be a bit more than could handle. In fact, if they were honest, it was they who were outnumbered, about a thousand to one if not more, and most noticeably, it was not in their favour.


	2. Mortal, of sorts

Xander looked at the two costumes ahead of him and smiled widely. He almost hated the way Willow covered up every Halloween, but then remembered the deal they made a few years ago. He went as a ghost with her, and now he was going to get some payback.

'Wills, can you come here?' Xander asked, drawing Willow away from Buffy for a moment. She looked at him, then at the costume.

'No Xander, I've already got mine,' she said, indicating the bag in her hands.

'You owe me,' Xander countered. 'I went as a ghost, and now I'd like you to do something different. She looked around, wishing she didn't make that promise.

'I'll try it on, okay?' Willow asked, not looking at Xander. 'But if I don't like it...'

'Willow, please,' Xander started, before she took the costume off the shelf, then quickly ran towards the change room. After five minutes she returned, the slim robe sticking to her frame, but still covered enough of her. 'It looks good.'

'Thank you, I think I'll get this one,' Willow muttered, a hint of colour in her cheeks. She walked back into the changing rooms, then reappeared, her costume in hand. She went to hire it, and was handed a belt with a thin long sword and a couple of daggers. She walked over to Xander, who was still trying the armour on. In the end, everything fit, though he got a bastard sword and shield, with a few other weapons with his costume.

They met, as planned, at Buffy's house, then walked to the school, all of them vaguely in sync with the other, Buffy choosing a noblewoman's outfit, though the era was hard to work out. Xander was in full plate armour, with a deep blue tabard, a sword bisecting an orcish skull the coat of arms. Willow, meanwhile had the brilliant green robe, the long slung belt carrying the weapons she was given. They arrived at the school, the School Troll, or Principal, Snyder, yelled at them, as ever, before they split up, each taking a group of students through the Sunnydale streets. Xander was proud of his group, as they used the advice he gave them. Sunset was approaching, though the sun sat above the horizon when a cold wind swept through the town, then, as one, the many costumes of Ethan Rayne awoke, the people wearing them knew no more.

* * *

Khilasa looked around the odd town, seeing many goblin like creatures scattering away from the strange carriages. He drew his sword, the strange green steel of the Starmetal alloy glowing faintly. He could sense the source of the disturbance, as he thought of it, and set off towards it. The closer he got towards it, the more chaotic the magic in his veins felt, glad his heritage allowed him to detect such things. He stopped, seeing a wood elf in a brilliant green robe being surrounded by some human pirates. He charged towards them, using the flat of his sword to knock them out. After a second, ropes leapt out of the elf opposite him belt, tying them all up. She looked at him, a few flecks of gold in her eyes.

'Greeting brother,' she said, her tone even. She also made a complicated sign with her hand, one Khilasa knew, he returned the gesture quickly.

'Were we not at Evermeet but a moment ago?' Khilasa asked. 'May I have your name Sister?'

'I am A'mael Falma,' A'mael said. 'You can sense this... disturbance?'

'I can smell it, almost as bad as the humans around here do,' Khilasa replied, then started down the road, his plate armour eerily silent despite the hard surface of the road he walked. A'mael followed him, a step behind. Both could easily sense the raw chaos in their magic grow stronger as they approached the source of it, which appeared to be a costume store. They stared at the door, finding the only magic came from within the store. Khilasa drew his sword to cut through the door, but stopped, hearing the words of Knock being said. The door opened, an unseen wind causing to door open, before he walked through, his shield raised to deflect any attacks, seen or unseen. They both heard the chanting, a language neither of them knew. Khilasa cast a spell quickly, electricity arcing along his sword. He moved towards the curtain, cutting it aside, seeing a cleric chanting.

Barely a moment after he entered the room, the cleric's head fell to the floor, the stone bust of a two headed man falling into half.

Another second past, then both A'mael and Khilasa disappeared, Xander and Willow stood watching each other, both extremely confused.

* * *

Buffy wondered what happened to her friends, before they were both so very different, now, they could barely be described as human. Both were now blessed with figures that seemed to make them into magnets for the opposite sex, and in a few cases, same sex. She could believe how much they knew about swords and sorcery. She'd seen Xander cut through solid stone with his sword, and Willow's change stunned her even more. A tiny part of her was even jealous with the changes. Both of them were slim, but well muscled. She could barely keep up with them when they spared, and felt like a novice next to these two.

The other thing she couldn't stop thinking about was magic. Every time the pair went out on a patrol the small town of Sunnydale large amounts of damage followed them. Anything ranging from cars to on a few occasions whole buildings were incinerated and the roads had gouges in them presumably caused by acid, which was only the start of the list. She wondered if the Judge assembled even had a chance against Xander or Willow.

* * *

'You are not human, or demon, explain,' the Judge said, pointing at Xander and then Willow.

'Lle holma ve' edan(1),' Willow said, the Judge looking at her with a blank expression.

'Llie n'vanima ar' lle atara lanneina(2),' Xander added, looking completely bored. He spoke a word, then his armour, shield and sword appearing from nothing. Willow spoke a similar word, her own armour and weapons appearing a flash. They both started to speak in a language none of the others there recognised before two things happen. Flames shot forward from Xander's sword, the intense heat dusting the vampires in between him and Judge, while the spell Willow cast struck the Judge, a green glow covering his flaming form. A second past, the green glow merged with the flames, then an explosion rocked the stairs, the wave of heat rushing through the building. Somehow, Angelus, Spike and Drussila escaped the blast, but the Judge did not. There appeared to be only a black spot left on tile floor.

'A job well done,' Xander said, in English to the relief of the Scooby's.

* * *

Giles watched the two people he never thought could take on a fully turned vampire fight each other with greater agility and strength then he could believe. The more they fought, the more he was amazed. The elegance with which they fought was astounding, their weapons barely more than a blur in the air.

The relationship between the pair had fallen to a sad low, in his mind. Before the two shared a link, whatever they had dressed as making them the same race as each other, but now it only seemed to annoy them. From the comments he could understand Willow believed Xander to be a mindless follower of a corrupt art, while Xander countered that with a remark about foolishly following tradition. They now mainly fought with their preferred weapons, the soft silver blur of Willow's long sword dashed dangerously close to his throat. He countered that attack, with a move that could have bifurcated her if she'd not moved out of the way.

'Xander, Willow, please, what is wrong?' he asked calmly, earning two insults, he guessed in the language they mainly spoke with.

'He is a Duskblade, a corruption of Corellion's noblepath,' Willow spat out in English.

'Xander?' Giles asked, rubbing his temples.

'She mindlessly follows an outdated tradition, one that no longer serves any purpose,' Xander said slowly, his shield still in between Willow and himself.

_Children... perhaps not... they have knowledge of more than one hundred years_ Giles thought.

* * *

The shimmering red portal glowed, Buffy and Angel looking into in worried. They could see the creatures on the other side of the portal preparing to change when Xander appeared in front of it, his armour and weapons present. He shouted something, clearly insulting the creatures beyond, before they charged through the portal to attack him. His sword cut through one creature after another, each barely arriving before they were cut down. A few minutes passed then, Willow appeared, seeing the demons she fumed, before they turned to face her.

Xander sensed this, and started to fight far more aggressively, with both magic and blade, his strikes taking greater effect on his foes. Willow, meanwhile took the chance to cast a spell she knew, both her alter ego and herself knew would work. When she finished a genie appeared, and looked at the portal. They spoke quickly, before the portal simply closed, a few demons being cut in half by the sudden close. Xander looked at Willow, now covered in demon blood.

Angel and Buffy looked at the pair, their words entirely lost on them as they moved towards each other, ignoring the bodies they both stepped around. When they met they a ran down the left side of each other's face, their eyes locked firmly onto each other. When they started to speak the words were soft, the tone of the song seemed to be a part of was one of forgiveness, and as it continued, admiration for the other. Buffy started to cry, when the song tone changed again, this one communicating their love, their magic sending everyone in the town memories of long springs, gentle winters, clouds of autumn leaves that were so large they almost made a second sun appear.

When Buffy's eye's dried she saw the two kissing, the song she heard in her mind continuing. She watched as the ground around them started to turn green, Angel shaking his head, feeling something in him changing, the vampire that controlled his body fleeing from the power the two possessed. He felt something he'd not felt in a long time, the beat of his own heart. He held onto Buffy, tears running down his face. Finally he could see clearly, the space Willow and Xander occupied was blank, but in its place a garden covered the warehouse floor. A sea of wild flowers covered the floor, an ocean of colour that in places would have reached Angel's knee, great trees had broken through the roof, the trees seeming to talk, their voices barely audible, only to be confused with the wind. For a moment, Angel and Buffy wondered what they had gained, but also what they had lost with the absence of the two beings that could cause such a change in the world.

* * *

Faith was still wondering what was going on. She'd arrived in the town, the Scourge of Europe according to her old Watcher was some sort of strange hybrid creature, now as much human as vampire. He could easily lift three times what he could before, but didn't need to drink blood, at all. She also knew the stories of Xander and Willow, who had somehow turned into their costumes and regained all of the knowledge they had from before. The worst part of it was that she walked through the garden that had formed when they closed the portal and felt at peace for the first time. She loved, and hated the place. She didn't like the feeling of being manipulated it gave off, but on the other hand, it gave her the chance to be free.

_The trees here_ she thought, left her hands brush the rough bark of the nearest tree to her. _They talk to each other, I'm sure of it._

She stopped suddenly, hearing two voices speaking to each other. She couldn't describe the way the way they spoke with words, only with pictures could even venture towards what she felt. She found herself looking into the deep pool in the middle of the garden, the two people she guessed were Xander and Willow simply appearing from within its depth with no sign they had stepped out of the water. She gasped, her Slayer senses warning her about how powerful these two were. She looked at Xander who was smiling softly.

'Greetings fair maiden,' he said, his tone strangely lilted.

Two more people appeared in the garden, equally as stunned as Faith was.

* * *

Glory contemplated the dimension the Key was now in, and she was unsure of her plans for the first time in many centuries. She had seen the rulers of Hell rise, and fall, her own place among them far reduced from what it had been at its peak. She listened to the rumours of two beings, while not godlike in power, were godlike in status. They, a man and woman, had slain many demons, not only that, destroyed one of her rivals as if he was a simple mortal man. The woman was easily recognisable, her brilliant coppery red hair and tan made her something some of her minions craved to taste, while the man, his dark hair on the border between black and a very dark brown, was a figure of dread. He was a master with the sword, and regularly he was said to face swordmasters from across the dimensions, so far none had beaten him.

Glory had a final thought, somehow trying to split them up, yet the magic cast to break them apart seemed to have no hold on them, a feat she'd not seen at all. She would make her gambit for the Key, but she questioned if it was going to be her end.

Xander and Willow appeared in the desolate wasteland, nothing but demonic creatures surrounding them. In a flash, their weapons and armour appeared, Xander's shield raised to block any ranged attacks. At once, the horde attacked, all of them wishing to take the red haired witch alive, unlike the man. Slowly, but surely, the horde weakened, clouds of billowing flame engulfing hundreds at a time, while lighting shot out from Xander's sword, striking more than fifty of their number, the bolts arcing from creature to creature, neither shell or hide holding back the power of the spells directed against them.

Glory watched as one of her armies was systematically slaughtered, what they couldn't defeat with magic they slew with the blade, what was immune to the blade they slew with magic. Corpses that still smouldered from either fire or lighting littered the desert, others had clean holes burned through them from acid, while others almost disappeared entirely, only an arm or leg remained. Glory prepared the sword in her hand, the pathetic minions of Wolfram and Hart had long since fallen to these two, and she would not be caught unaware, like the ex-law firm was.

* * *

Giles looked at the two in front of him, another year passing since they were last seen. If he was honest, he could hardly see any difference in the pair in front of him, however he, as had the others, changed. A few years seemed to have appeared on Angel, while Buffy seemed to have had a growth spurt, one which she said was far overdue. Faith on the other hand looked pretty much the same, though the clothes she wore were far different. While they were tight, Giles was pushed to think of the last time black leather graced her figure.

'There is a portal to Hell beneath this town, we may have a way to close it,' Xander started.

'The physical Hellmouth?' Giles asked.

'You are correct, the ritual to close it, and any others will take some time to prepare, we only hope the devil that is the Mayor does not ascend,' Willow added. Giles wanted to be happy the pair had found a way to close the Hellmouth, but the news about the Mayor startled him.

'What do you mean, the Mayor ascends?' Giles asked.

'Angel, do you understand?' Xander asked.

'I do,' Angel replied, nodding.

* * *

The day of the graduation finally arrived, all of the students seemingly excited about it. From what little news Angel had gathered, the vampires of Sunnydale were staying strictly neutral, and starting to look at alternate means to find human blood. Giles, meanwhile, had recruited the staff to help deal with the Mayor, but he only hoped they could keep their heads when he finally started to transform. Buffy and Faith had gone to go get Xander and Willow, who had lived in the garden that appeared in the warehouse. When they arrived it was no longer a simple garden, but a forest that had been relocated to the middle of the Sunnydale industrial area. When they arrived they saw a pair of squirrels running up a tree trunk, their dance making sense only to them. They stopped at the entrance, somehow Willow and Xander just appearing from the solid foliage to their eyes.

'We are ready,' Willow said.

'Great, everything's set up,' Buffy said. She waited for them to reply, but they vanished, the faintest rush of air announcing their departure. She looked at Faith, who shrugged. Even a blind man could read their reactions.

Xander and Willow appeared in the school hall, the mythal to protect everyone in place. The moment they saw Mayor Wilkins step into the middle of the circle they activated it, burning runes in Sylvan appearing all over the stage. The Mayor tried to escape, but the more power he put into the spells the more he charged the mythal. He looked to see the red haired witch chanting, a black portal appearing in the middle of the stage over his head. He could feel something draining him, like it was an entire dimension of negative energy. The wider the portal got, the greater the pull on his life force, and soon enough, he was nothing more than a dried out husk, barely skin and bones surviving the process. The portal closed, something deep inside that dark realm glad to have such essence, the same feeling of a man who had not eaten for days also coming across.

Xander and Willow looked at each other, it was one step they didn't expect, but it was done, and now it was time to start to plan the end of the Hellmouth.

* * *

**A/N**: They're Wood Elves, in D&D 3.5 Terms, Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting. Classes are Duskblade and Bladesinger.

What they said, in English

1 - You smell like a human.

2 - You're ugly and your mother dresses you funny.

Khilasa - Nomad

A'mael Falma - Beloved Wave


	3. A Dark Night

* * *

Willow wandered through the costume shop, a few things catching her eye, though none of them she would wear, until he saw one she loved. It was a full blue body suit, armour sections sown into the material, with a zip that run up the front, a section she could fold over to cover it. She pulled it off the rack, seeing Xander in the corner of her eye. She tried on the costume, though not showing her friends what she was hiring for the night. She grabbed a light brown trench coat, then walked to the counter, the Englishman behind it smiling, something that she could only describe as leaving her feeling 'wiggy.'

Xander looked to the side of the place Willow found hers, and saw something similar, though it was for a man, somewhat around his size and height. He pulled out the costume, a rifle on a sling coming with it, as with a magnum, a large calibre one at that. He saw the costume had something like an armoured vest though it had too many pockets to be a simple bulletproof vest, a backpack, and finally, some combat boots, each with a sheath for a knife.

He tried the costume on, and on finding it was a _perfect_ fit, he hired it, knowing it would take a while to make the money back, but for one night of fun, it was worth it in his mind. Halloween finally arrived, and Willow and Xander meet at Buffy's place, seeing her waiting for them in the dress she had chosen.

'Looks great Buff,' Xander called, seeing Buffy on the stairs.

'Yeah, looks good,' Willow added.

'What about you two?' Buffy asked. Willow pulled the trench coat open, revealing the armoured body suit, while Xander tightened the straps on his back pack, then adjusting the rifle across his chest, barrel pointed down. He smiled quickly, while the two girls groaned, loudly.

'Shouldn't we try to keep the Troll happy?' Xander complained, walking out of the house and towards the school, Willow and Buffy a few steps behind. When they finally arrived, a few minutes early to try and give the troll one less thing to complain about, they were given a group of students, then just about kicked out of the door. As they started on the route, Sunnydale became colder, but more importantly wilder.

* * *

Jo looked around, seeing strange imp like creatures scattering as she pointed her Falcon at them. She wondered what was going on, then sighed in relief as she Jonathon at the end of the street. She jogged towards him watching her surroundings intently.

'Jo, what a surprise, last I saw you was in England,' Jon remarked, his natural accent in full strength.

'Jonathon, what the hell is going on?' Jo replied, somewhat angry at her sudden awareness. She turned to face a pirate of all things, leering at them. He paled, then fainted, as the barrels of one magnum, Falcon and rifle pointed at his forehead. 'Can you reach anyone?'

'Sorry Jo, I'm not getting anything,' Jon said, taking his magnum back. He managed to catch a glimpse of Jo adjusting her combat suit, shifting the zip down six inches or so. 'Feeling better?'

'Don't start on it, you know they could make these better,' Jo retorted.

'Any idea what caused...this?'

'No, but I've got this mental picture of a costume shop, start there?'

'Alright, let's go,' Jon said, moving towards the costume shop, his rifle sweeping the area in front of him constantly. He could feel Jo a few steps behind him, just knowing her pistol was held in a single hand, her right hand. They found the costume shop, the thin plate glass of the door breaking easily. He slowly pushed the door open, keeping the rifle trained on the room, ready to react to any hostile, human or otherwise. His head turned, the chanting grabbing his attention quickly.

He signalled Jo, using his hands, that he thought one person was through the curtain. He passed a grenade to Jo, before she pulled the pin, and rolled it through the curtain, the explosion causing the shop to shake for a moment. Both smiled at the other, before the air became warmer, and two people reappeared when they weren't there before.

'What the hell just happened?' Xander asked, a mix of Jonathon Steinberg and his own.

'You're asking me,' Willow said, feeling top heavy, far unlike what she was before.

* * *

Buffy looked at Xander and Willow, the two of them sitting in the corner of the cafeteria , the pair far more aware of their surroundings than she could believe. Each time she looked in their direction, they seemed to be on her in a second, every bite though took, perfectly timed to allow the other to keep the watch. They spoke to each other, in German, she thought, throughout their break, whatever they were planning certainly had nothing to do with her, or the Hellmouth. She heard the rumours about the constant robberies on the ATM's. No-one had been caught, the two thieves professionals in the truest sense of the word.

They split up, Xander heading towards the library, while Willow walked the other, heading to her next class. She couldn't believe the change in her friend, though they'd not spent much time together lately. She was always seemed to be doing something with Xander, though that seemed to be winding down. She had a massive growth spurt since Halloween, her bust line increasing almost fifteen inches if what Willow said was true. One thing that Buffy did notice very quickly, the amount of attention she was getting from the male population of the school. The clothes she wore weren't that different, though her singlets often revealed a few inches of flat, well toned stomach.

Xander on the other hand seemed to shrink a little in height, though the muscle mass made up for the change. He had gotten into a few fights with the major jocks, winning each one of them, and rather brutally according to her. She'd sparred against him a few times, and they were a good match, despite her Slayer powers. She looked at her lunch, Xander sitting opposite her silently.

'Buffster?' Xander asked.

'Oh, sorry, not paying attention,' Buffy replied quickly, actually stunned by Xander's silent arrival.

* * *

Giles sat in front of the computer, rubbing his eyes for a moment, before he pulled his glasses back on. He tried to understand the financial records he could find on the Carrington Private Security Corporation, attached to the main body of the Carrington Institute. They also had a think lab, research division, pharmaceuticals, manufacturing and plenty more beside. If there was a pie the company could be in, it was.

He watched the investments in it go from two, he guessed Xander and Willow though the names were listed as Ms J Dark and Mr J Steinberg. He saw the money increase by five thousand dollar increments, under the legally required minimum reporting value. This continued for a while, though they invested in stock, and very wisely it seemed.

He looked forward a few more months, someone in the company sold a patent for a _**LOT**_ of money. After that, the main body of the Carrington Institute appeared, followed by the various small companies. The more he tried to make sense of it, the less he could follow the trail. He rubbed his eyes again, and looked at the bedroom door, hearing the taps turn off.

'Jana, could you help me please?' Giles asked.

'Sure,' Jana, aka Jenny Calender replied, stepping out in the white silk dressing gown Giles bought for her.

Meanwhile, half a world away Xander looked at the dropship landing a few metres ahead of him, signalling the team he brought with him, they ran forward, the package they were after securely carried and protected from detection. He hoped the lab would be able to sort out the rest required for what they needed in case the portal to Hell was opened. The only problem would be containing that blast in that dimension.

He looked at Willow, and nodded, seeing the package. She shivered slightly, glad to be leaving Siberia, and the secret reactor the Russians had recently reactivated.

* * *

Angelus smirked, before the sudden ethereal impact of his soul being forced back into his vampiric body. He looked at Buffy, then at the large number of men who appeared in the warehouse, his memories telling him they were the strange black men that had hunted him during his time as Angelus.

'Buffy... there's one way to close the door,' Angel started.

'Can it Deadboy, we've got this one handled,' Xander said, his hand signal confusing Buffy and Angel. Two mean in armour ran forward, a large box held between the them, they threw it into the portal, something in the portal changing. It seemed to wobble, then start to shrink, almost folding in on itself. After a second it closed. The air warmed suddenly, before a pressure wave blew all of the dust out of the warehouse.

'Wrap it up people, NEST eta, three min,' Xander shouted, the black clad men all working with military precision.

'What do you know?' Buffy asked, almost looking scarred, an expression matched by Angel.

* * *

Xander looked at the line of militia being held prisoner by the section he trained to deal with the paranormal, and other more wiggy situations that normal. He could feel the anger of his team towards the militia. He drew his thumb across his throat, the gesture clearly understood. He turned away, walking by the rest of his team, still digging graves for the slaughtered civilians, after a silver stake had been driven through their heart, and head removed from the body.

They could never be too careful.

He wondered how Willow was going in her assignment.

* * *

'I'm sure I can handle that, it's so easy,' Willow said, her accent from the Midwest.

'You worked as a intern with Patrick and Franks?' Mr Danielson asked, his attention drawn to Willow's bust. He couldn't help but lick his lips, desperately trying to focus his attention away from the beast in his body.

'Yes I did, Mr Danielson,' Willow replied, the drawl almost a little too natural for her own liking.

'Certainly, I'd like you to close the door, please,' Mr Danielson asked, the form hugging dress his next meal was wearing was enough to drive the vampire in him insane. He let the creature out as soon as the door closed, but barely left his seat, the three silver tipped, hollow point rounds, cooled in holy water, blessed by a cardinal entered his heart, the garlic essence inside the bullets burning its way through what was left of his bloodstream. The dust he turned into barely leaving the seat.

'I'm not surprised, dirty bloody lawyers,' Willow muttered, before she hid the suppressed Falcon, the hidden holster in the dress itself. She checked herself in the window, noticing she was looking just as she did when she entered the room. She pulled her jacket on, glad for the extra warmth it provided on the cold Sunnydale summer. She opened her D-Pal, recording a short message for Xander. She hoped he'd like the dress.

* * *

Lindsay McDonald was not your average lawyer, especially for the firm he worked for, Wolfram and Hart. He'd long felt he sold part a soul to join the firm, a weight on his soul he couldn't quite explain. When he woke up this morning the weight seemed missing, for once feeling complete, unlike what he had for a very long time.

He drove to the office, despite something telling him he wouldn't need to go to work today. When he arrived he could barely describe the scene. The whole office was nothing more than a pile of rubble, nothing of the office intact in any meaning of the word. He couldn't help but sigh in relief, the tiny part of him that was still wholly human glad he met Jon, and actually listened to him, both play the guitar and what he had to say.

Mayor Wilkins started his speak, slowly weaving in the truth, about his transformation before he stopped. The bursts of gunfire echoing loudly in his ears. He turned, starting to transform as a squad of Carrington soldiers burst on to the stage, one of them holding a rocket launcher of some sort. As he lunged the rocket fired, though it didn't explode. As he continued forward the true power of the warhead was revealed, spikes ripping through the new muscles and organs, patches of blood leaking from tiny holes in his scaled form. Finally the Mayor stopped, blood pools almost reaching the ankles of the students in the front row.

Giles looked at Xander and Willow, both of them making gestures he couldn't understand. He was quickly pulled out of the room, Xander and Willow in the middle of the crowd, looking very startled like everyone else. Little did he know, it wasn't an act on their part. What they thought they knew turned out to be very, very wrong.

* * *

Willow walked into the library, Xander sitting at the table already, one of the text's they recovered from Wolfram and Hart in between him and Xander.

'Willow,' Xander said, squeezing her shoulder.

'Xand,' Willow replies, a soft smile and warm tone in reply.

'Where did you find this?' Giles asked, looking almost like he'd proposed to Jana, and she said yes, which was a few months ago now.

'It's better you didn't know, but then I think you know why,' Xander said calmly.

'Yes, Wolfram and Hart had quite the archive,' Giles whispered. 'So you just found it in a garage sale?'

'Yes, it seemed so odd,' Willow added. 'Do you know what it is? Is it real?'

'It's very real Willow, very real indeed,' Giles replied. 'I think it concerns Angel.'

'It does?' Xander asked. 'Can we speak with him about it this evening?'

'Yes, I'll need some time with my wife...' Giles started.

'Feels good to say it?' Xander asked, one eyebrow raised.

'Very, thank you,' Giles continued, his expression matching a giddy schoolboy's.

'We'll see you this evening,' Xander said, reaching for Willow's hand without realising it. She squeezed his hand gently, both of them glad for the simple physical link.

'Something new then?' Giles asked, seeing on the backs of the two.

He heard Willow and Xander conversing in German, and very fluently at that. He shook his head, hearing the soft steps of Jana approaching the library. He smiled at his wife of a few months, they had a lot of work to do tonight.

'Willow, thank you,' Xander started, still in German.

'It's nothing, I've...' Willow started, before Xander kissed her full on the lips, his free hand hovering around her waist, gently moving down her side. Little did the two realise they wouldn't be able to meet the meeting, their passion totally overwhelming them.

Six hours later, Buffy, Kendra, Jana, Giles, Angel and Oz all sat around the table, all of them looking at the translation done by both Jana and Giles in front of each of them, with two spare copies sitting in the middle of the table.

'Has anyone seen Xander or Willow since midday?' Giles asked.

'No, we've not,' Buffy said, both for her and Angel. Other replies the same in tone followed, none of them knowing where the pair where. Meanwhile in the home Xander bought for himself with money gained from the stocks in the Carrington Institute. He rolled over, resting his head on Willow's chest, looking into her eyes. He could feel her legs wrapped around his waist.

'Didn't we have a meeting?' Willow asked, sounding a little dopey.

'We did,' Xander said, turning around to lay on Willow.

'Oh well,' Willow groaned as Xander slid upwards, ensnaring her lips with his.

* * *

Glory looked at the black clad men facing her, laughing at their weapons, before a high pitched wine reached her ears, then she knew no more, the alien weapons in the hand of the men adding their fire to the heavy sniper rifle, Glory turning into no more than a pile of red coloured mush on the floor. Xander threw a thermite charge into the pile of mush.

'That's what happens when you ruin my wedding bitch!' Xander said coldly as he detonated the charge.

Two of the men looked at each other, both of shuddering.

'Boss man has got a temper,' the first said.

'Rather not see what Boss woman would do,' the second countered, both of the shuddering in true, and total, fear for a second.

* * *

Dawn did her best not to pout, although she was happy because her friend Willow was getting married. She liked Xander, he treated her like his own little sister, despite the fact she wasn't. She liked the dress she was wearing, and caught a quick glance of Kendra standing next to her, the white silk offset by her dark skin. Both of them received many appreciative looks from the men at the wedding, all of them, Dawn was sure, would be good dancers.

Kendra smiled, her friends Xander and Willow a match made in Heaven. She didn't think she'd ever be offered the position of bridesmaid, let alone make it beyond eighteen years old. She smiled as the video camera passed by her, the cameraman almost dropping the camera. She wondered if Xander and Willow could put her up in one of their completed investment homes for a little while, despite the Hellmouth being very active in Sunnydale, she'd become more than the Slayer she started out as. She felt like a woman, something only Xander seemed to be able to explain.

* * *

Six months had passed, and Giles still wasn't used to the position. He was the Head Watcher of the Council, his words was in effect law. Buffy and Kendra had both Hellmouths under control, Kendra in Sunnydale and very happy, while Buffy had met a policeman by the name of Riley in Boston. He looked to see Willow and Xander on the TV, apparently, they'd been chosen by an unnamed person to show the world the first anti-gravity car, though he knew the truth.

'Come to bed Giles, you can see the car tomorrow,' Jana called, the manor just north of London never quiet, even in his private quarters. 'And say goodnight to Joyce.'

'I will,' Giles promised, then added another part to it, to thank Xander and Willow for whatever they really did, starting with restoring Angel and reworking his curse, through to the former Mayor Wilkins, Glory, the First One and beyond. What's more, he heard rumours of the parts of the Judge being dumped into the ocean, while others had them falling into a volcano somewhere in the Ring of Fire, a different volcano for each piece.


	4. Chains of Destiny

Xander sat on the edge of the roof, his feet hanging off the edge of the house. The vast amount of knowledge that now resided in his head was giving him a massive headache. Each time he shut his eyes he could see the memories of one life, the challenges faced and enemies defeated. Other times he saw lands beyond his wildest dreams, some of them defied description, and their people equally as hard to describe. He knew Ocarina of Time better than anyone, he could find everything in the game on memory alone, but seeing it through his own eyes was something new. He looked at the sky blue and silver ocarina in his hand, something about seemed so much more real. He put it to his lips, playing the first song that came to mind. A song from a deep, almost endless forest.

* * *

Xander wandered through the store, nothing really catching his eyes while he waited for Buffy and Willow to get theirs. He looked around one last time, seeing something he didn't before. It was a simple green tunic, something that looked like chainmail underneath the cloth. He could see a sword and shield pinned up next to it, the sword looked something like the Master Sword, though it seemed too long and thin next to the one he knew. He pulled it out, seeing the price tag he was stunned. It seemed ridiculously cheap, for what he was getting. He rapped his knuckles on the shield, instead of finding plastic, his hand struck cold steel, which only added to his shock.

He studied the price tag, as if daring it to change, for a few moments, before he grabbed it, carrying it over to the counter, paying the required fee. He looked at the Englishman, something about him setting some sort of instinctual warning. He wasn't sure what it was, but something about the nature of some of the costumes he saw put him on edge. By the time he got it home, it was almost time to get ready, then head off back to school, at the ungodly time of five o'clock in the afternoon. There, he was given a group of students, one he instructed in the fine art of conning candy out of people, before they left, the cold autumn wind becoming colder.

* * *

Link awoke, his surroundings completely unrecognisable. He knew he was not in Hyrule, or any of her bordering lands. He smelt the air, somehow both cleaner and dirtier at the same time. He walked down the road, the sheer feeling of evil one he was too familiar with. He drew his sword, the blade glowing brightly, dispelling some of the magic in the surrounding air. Monster that seemed desperate to attack him one moment become children in masks, some of them starting to cry for some reason lost on him. He patted their shoulders, still not speaking for the moment.

He walked through the town, his sword out while his shield stayed on his shoulder, ready in its sling. He moved towards a shop, like the one he remembered in Hyrule castle, though it didn't appear to sell masks. A few more memories flashed in front of his eyes, the land of Hyrule, and other places far beyond, blurring, as if he was more than one person. He shook his head, pushing the door open, a bell ringing as the door opened. The more he progressed into the store, the louder the voice chanting got, a language he didn't know at all. He moved towards the back, a curtain hanging over the doorway. He pushed it aside, a marble bust sat on a table, the evil seeming to come from it. He saw a man on the other side, before he drew a knife, then charged at him.

Link reacted, his sword deflecting the blade, before the swing opened up his opponent's stomach, entrails falling onto the floor. He looked at the sword in his hands, somehow knowing what it was, but couldn't shake the feeling it should look different. Another second later, the sword cleaved through the bust, the two halves falling to the floor, nothing larger than a deku seed remaining. He blinked a few times, something else forcing itss way into existence.

* * *

Giles sat at the head of the table, the others, Buffy, Willow and Xander all looking a little bewildered at his explanation.

'So you're saying we've got memories of our... costumes?' Willow asked. She seemed to come off the lightest, going as ghost she was simply incorporeal, while Buffy and Xander had far more to deal with.

'Do you realise how weird it is thinking they got that wrong in history and knowing it because you saw it?' Buffy complained. 'I mean, the English weren't that stupid...'

'Xander?' Giles asked.

'Sorry,' Xander replied, looking at Giles, something in his eyes better expressing himself than any words could.

'Yes, what did you go as?' Giles asked.

'Link, as in Ocarina of Time,' Xander explained. 'Well, I think so anyway.' He pulled off the glove he was wearing on one hand, the gold symbol of the Triforce seemingly burned into his skin. He also still had a silver earring in his right ear.

'I see,' Giles said, looking at the symbol. 'Courage?'

Xander simply nodded, something about him telling the others he was far from okay, and his mind couldn't settle, at least for a while yet.

'Xander, what do you mean I think so?' Buffy asked.

'I remember... lots of things, each one was different, but the same, it's like I was every single Link,' Xander said. 'I tried to play the ocarina... I can do the same type of magic they can in the game.'

'This is... unbelievable,' Giles stuttered. Xander pulled out the ocarina, somehow the other three guessing it would only work in his hand.

'Is there something we can do to help?' Willow asked, her tone just as expressive as Xander's silences.

'I don't know, but I know one person who can,' Xander replied, his words echoing in their minds, telling them alot more than the words could ever.

* * *

Oz was a little worried after Halloween. He could smell another wolf all over the school, this one clearly a more dominant male than he was. While he was far from submissive, this wolf practically oozed Alpha male without trying, and for once, Oz felt safe. The feeling of pack somehow taming the beast he carried within himself.

* * *

Xander looked at the house, something else drawing his attention. He could almost see a road in the desert, the odd cobble stone appearing through the sand. He looked back at the house, feeling the weight of the sword and shield on his back increase for a moment, then fade. He knew he had to explore the desert, work out what was causing it. As he looked into the desert, strong winds started to blow, the dust storm appearing from nowhere. Despite this, Xander felt himself move across the desert faster than any car could travel, as suddenly as it started, it stopped, the great dry red stone doors marked with the sign of the Triforce, though it was missing the section for Courage, the one he carried on his hands. He pulled the glove off his hand, the gold tattoo like mark glowing faintly. He touched the door, small eddies of wind blowing the dust back from the door as they parted, a perfect spilt appearing in the middle.

He adjusted the bag on his shoulder, the sword and shielding sitting far more comfortably than before. Somehow he knew he was expected, and whatever awaited him meant him no harm. He also had the strangest feeling he'd been here before, but the tunnel that awaited him hadn't been used in what looked like centuries.

* * *

Xander looked at the portal, the sword and shield he held were loose as he sensed no threat. He looked into the portal into the Hell dimension, and shut his eyes. He could feel the Triforce of Courage in his hand pulsing gently, as if to tell him what to do. He sheathed his sword, also removing the shield from his arm before he held out his left hand towards the portal. A solid beam of gold shot into it, then encompassed it, the gap linking the two dimensions slowly shrinking. A stunned Buffy and Angel looked at Xander, unable to speak. A drop of sweat landed loudly, the only noise in the entire warehouse, then a faint pop as the hole in between two worlds closed.

'It's done,' Xander whispered. 'It's over.'

* * *

Xander looked at the grave, feeling it was far too bare for the person it marked. He pulled out the ocarina he'd bought for Kendra, starting a low, sad song. As he shut his eyes the magic he gained from his costume activated, transforming the music into a spell like no other ever cast. The flowers, only a few hours old started to grow roots, then started to grow, forming a natural pergola that covered the grave. When Xander opened his eyes, the faint smell of the roses finally reached him, and he smiled, though it didn't reach his eyes. He knelt by the tombstone, placing the ocarina on top of it. Little did he know, it would remain there, long after he had died, even after his children children, no-one able to touch it as they lacked a pure heart.

* * *

Faith looked at the man standing in between her and Karistos, his sword and shield seemed to be a joke in today's world, yet he stood with them in hand and an expression that spoke more than any words could express. She was sure he was holding the Master Sword, after all anyone who played Ocarina of Time would know, she thought, before her thoughts paused for a moment.

_It's like the Master Sword, but not_ Faith thought. A quick flash of anger passed through her, remembering what had happened to her Watcher she stood beside the man, surprised to see it was Xander. She looked as Karistos, her intent obvious to all around. She hefted the sword in her hand, while longer than what she was used to, it was well made and balanced. She'd fight whatever the vampires threw at her, with Xander at her side, and she would win. She knew that, only once she had started to fight she wondered why she thought that. Quickly shunting that thought aside, she fought towards Karistos, his minions falling quickly to her blade. Finally, somehow, she managed a lucky thrust and caught Karistos and another vampire in the same stroke, both of them ashing the moment she turned the blade ninety degrees. She felt a hand on her shoulder.

'You fought well Faith,' Xander said softly.

'You fought better, can you teach me?' Faith asked. She was sure that if it wasn't for Xander she'd have been easily defeated.

'I can try,' Xander promised, his usual emotive silence back to full strength.

* * *

Lindsay looked at the Irish pub in front of him. He heard this was place was open to musicians bringing their instruments in and playing together. He pushed the door open to see someone sitting on the edge of a stage, a guitar in his hands. He started to play a slow lullaby, many of the patrons being brought to tears. The more Lindsay listened to it, the more he knew it was magic, something he'd never seen before. He felt a few stray tears running down his cheek, memories of his family, before he sold his soul to the law firm he worked for. He heard the music stop, the music in the song still as powerful as ever.

He sat down at the nearest table, staring intently at the wood grain. He looked up to see the man on the stage edge start a new song, this one happier, if it was the right word. The more he listened to it, the more it told him, mourning for a lost friend, but celebrating her, he was absolutely sure it was a her, life. This time the whole crowd seemed to smile, the waitresses having a spring in their step. A few more minutes passed, everyone focused on the song he played, before the song wound to a close, neither happy, nor sad, but of understanding. He looked at the man, sure he had seen him in a file on Sunnydale, but couldn't think of his name.

* * *

Xander sat in library, an old book in front him. He seemed to be able to read the script, which Giles didn't seem to understand at all.

'Xander?' Willow asked. 'You've been... well, more quiet than normal.'

'Sorry, I can read this,' Xander said. 'It's part journal, autobiography and history.'

'What's it about?' Giles asked, sitting down next to Willow.

'It's...' Xander started. 'It's about me... of sorts. I don't know how to explain. You remember I said the costume was of a Hero?' Giles and Willow nodded before Xander continued. 'This is the first one, the first Hero.'

'You're saying the book is in Hylian?' Willow blurted out. Xander nodded in reply.

'This is... odd,' Giles said slowly. He focused on Xander for a moment. 'So then...'

'Can I change time?' Xander asked flatly.

'Well... not my question, but I would like to know,' Giles started, then stopped suddenly.

'I don't know, not yet,' Xander said after a few seconds of silence. 'I have the sword, I know the song, but I've not seen the Temple, at least not yet.'

'What are you thinking?' Willow asked.

'There's something waiting for me, somewhere in time, I just can't explain it,' Xander replied, before inspiration lit his eyes. He remembered the strange monks in the desert, and their words, that he would walk in two times, both far apart from each other.

* * *

Xander stood in the doorway to the temple, the ancient stone doors parting as he approached them, the pedestal sat in a beam of light, the mark of the Triforce etched into it. He felt the sword start to sing in his hands, the magic of his bloodline resonating with the faint chanting that echoed in the temple. He guessed that the people who first sung here was long gone, their words trapped by the magic in the building. He was sure he was meant to be here, the pedestal the key to his gift. He drew the sword, the chanting seemed so much fainter, but clearer at the same time as he placed it point first in the pedestal. A beam of blue light burst from the edges of the platform, years seeming to travel by so fast in seconds seasons changed, minutes whole decades passed by, yet the longer it went on, the happier Xander was, and perhaps a few steps closer to whatever he was meant to do.

* * *

Willow Buffy and the other Scooby's looked on in amazement as a gleaming white temple burst from the ground, slowly raising itself from the dirt, they looked to the giant blue stone doors, open with Xander standing in the middle of them, this time positively radiating power. They wondered what had changed in their friend when he walked over to the group, stopping in front of Faith, pulling her into an intense kiss. Neither seemed to be aware of the sky lighting with a pure, holy light, the temple behind Xander glowing in power.

The moment they separated the world seemed to be brighter, and if Buffy was sure of what her Slayer senses were telling her, the Hellmouth seemed to be so much weaker, as if it was shrinking in on itself, trying to fight the sudden change in the world. Then all of a sudden, that feeling of oppressive evil was gone, before it reappeared, though far, far away from Sunnydale.

* * *

Mayor Wilkins looked at the temple, a beam of light shooting through his window and striking him, his skin burning from the touch of the light. He could feel somehow, time had changed, the temple he buried in his younger days had emerged again, and his plans for Ascension foiled. He shuddered in fear as a sword pierced all the way through his door, before it disappeared, the many enchantments on the door failing as the sword bit into the door again, the hinges well and truly beyond repair. He saw it fall, revealing Xander, though he wasn't wearing the tunic he remembered from his past, the stance and expression was the same. More importantly, the sword in his hands glowed with a light far stronger than it was before. Another second later, the two joined in combat, their duel levelling the office block they were in and carrying onto the street. The more time passed, the weaker the Mayor felt, before he was second too late, the shield bash knocking him off balance, the follow through strike piercing his heart before his blood started to boil, then his body, slowing turning into steam, his essence well and truly banished into the darkest places in all the Realms, even the Sacred Realm itself.


	5. A New Cat in Town

Xander muttered angrily, the head troll of them all demanded they wear costumes. Having spent what little money he had for the week he stole a bottle of hair dye from his mother's room, sure she wouldn't notice its theft. As he got ready he felt, for a moment, he looked silly, but the new clothes and hair really, at least in his own mind, set him apart from what he normally was. Another thing he tried, was using his black sheep uncle's accent. He thought he was born somewhere near a town called Gillette, but he couldn't be sure of the spelling. As he arrived at Buffy's house, he got into character, finally settling on a name, Zack, perhaps tonight wasn't going to be too bad.

* * *

Zack felt confused, the last thing he could remember was Manticore, the cold grey hallways seemed to be burnt into his memory. A strange creature reached forward, as if to try and hold him still. He elbowed the creature, the strange mask it was wearing still not coming loose. He threw the thing onto a picket fence, the creature turning into dust a second later. He relaxed, if it was the right word, his attention focused on the surrounding space. He saw a red haired woman, sure she wasn't from the project.

'Xander, you're okay,' she said, her clothes very revealing.

'Sorry, I'm not Xander,' Zack replied, something seeming odd about the woman. He couldn't smell her, which had started to unsettle him.

'Your costume?' Willow asked, now completely confused. She knew Xander had been in the store, but bought nothing.

'What costume?' Zack countered, folding his arms.

'We'd better to speak to Giles,' Willow said, Zack following her out of interest more than anything else. They reached the Library eventually, Willow passing through the doors like they weren't there. He listened to Giles explain what he thought was going on, plans and contingencies rapidly forming.

'What about this store?' Zack asked. 'The source has to come from that.'

'That's a good point... Zack,' Giles said, before they drove to the store, Zack automatically going to rear door, listening to chanting on the other side. He tried the door handle, feeling it move underneath his hand. He pushed it open, using it as cover. He hugged the wall, moving towards chanting. As he moved closer, he was sure it was Latin, a language they were taught in part.

He pushed the curtain aside, the man kneeling in front of a bust, a bare second later he heard the glass front door being shattered, then made his move, his kicking send the man's face into the bust, knocking it off the table and on the ground. Everything around the world changed, the world so much warmer than it was before.

Xander blinked, something about him feeling more aware, more alive, but at the same time, more feline.

* * *

Buffy looked at Xander on the other side of the barbed wire fence, as if just leaping over a two metre high fence from standing was normal. He took the bolt cutters, cutting a large hole in the fence, before he disappeared from sight, barely any sign he was there in the first place. A muffled thud a few seconds later before another softer thud, something sounding like a body being placed inside a car, and rather roughly at that. A little more time passed, more muted thuds reached Buffy's ears, and it appeared, Oz's as well. A minute later Xander appeared, a rifle on his shoulder, with a bag on the other shoulder. Behind him a large box was dragged effortlessly.

'Quickly,' Xander said, throwing the back into the back of the van, then the box before he jumped in, the others almost instinctively following his commands, the van disappearing long before any military presence noticed the theft.

Two nights later the Judge revealed itself in the mall, the Scooby's following Xander's plan to the letter. Buffy fired the weapon, while Xander revealed what he did to the rifle, which wasn't much. He'd improved a fore grip for the rifle, while the bullets he'd fired had a noticeable effect on the vampires. From what Giles saw from the remains the bullets seemed to be tipped in silver, or blessed in some way, though he couldn't be sure. He wondered what had changed Xander so much, and every so often he seemed to have the shakes.

* * *

Xander sighed, the whole school seemed to be focused on him, and he could feel the shakes coming. He gripped onto the desk tightly, the shakes slowing from the moment. Cordelia, strangely absent of the Cordette's for the moment sitting opposite him. He took a long drink of the milk, the feeling the shakes left him with fading for the moment.

'Xander?' Cordelia asked.

'Yes, what is it?' Xander replied, staying calm.

'What happened to you?' she asked.

'I couldn't tell you,' Xander said.

'Well, how did you manage to throw Larry halfway down the hall?' Cordelia asked, her expression unreadable.

'He slid most of the way, basic physics,' Xander countered quickly.

'But that doesn't change the fact his feet weren't on the ground,' Cordelia said flatly.

Xander remained silent, alot of people backing away very quickly, the sudden change in Xander's attitude scaring them. He seemed to ooze lethality, and it's was overwhelmingly powerful.

* * *

Buffy looked at Xander standing over her, his throw still had her back aching. She muttered, almost complaining that Xander had taken over her training. She couldn't believe he could keep up with her, and often when they were fighting he'd recover from the bruises faster than she did, though some injuries took a little longer, on average. Other times he seemed to shake a bit, which she really didn't get. It was like his body just didn't work properly.

He offered his hand, Buffy knowing not to take it from previous experience, before she tried to sweep Xander's feet from, under him. She felt the foot landing on one side of her neck.

'What did I tell you?' Xander asked.

'Don't let your enemy expect the move,' Buffy muttered. She guessed Xander's reply, before it was out of her mouth. 'I know, but what...'

'It doesn't matter, you've got to pre-empt them all,' Xander countered, pulling Buffy to her feet, before throwing her a knife. 'Knife work today.'

'Yes Xander,' Buffy groaned, holding the weighted training blade in her hands. Some days, she really missed Giles and his methods.

* * *

Xander was tired, for the first time it seemed, in years. He couldn't help but feel it, after everything that had happened over the last month. He remembered the nights tracking Adam across Sunnydale, their fights leaving him with bruises he struggled to hide. He could still smell the dead flesh, nothing he could do would remove the smell from his nose. He could feel the cold morning breeze start, his feet hanging off the edge of the tower, the tiles feeling even colder to his touch, though he didn't feel it at all.

He could feel something approaching, something he couldn't quite explain, the more time he spent over the Hellmouth the less he seemed to suffer the shakes, and the sharper his instincts seemed. He sighed, seeing the new Slayer, Faith if he recalled correctly, walking in from patrol a fine layer of ash over her form fitting shirt. There was something else he could detect, a tiny hint of a smell reaching through the stench he still carried.

_This needs some research_ Xander thought, disappearing into the shadows.

* * *

Faith glared at Xander, standing in between her and the door.

'I know you're working for the Mayor,' Xander said flatly. 'I don't want to make this harder than necessary.'

'Like you could stop me,' Faith drawled.

'I could easily,' Xander countered. 'You'll have to get through me.'

'Watch me,' Faith bit out, before she attacked Xander, somehow he managed to move around her, his kick sending her sprawling. She reeled back, winded by the strike.

'I can and will stop you Faith,' Xander said, keeping himself between the door and Faith. She lunged at him again, though this time she felt him trap her arms behind her back, popping both of them out of their sockets with ease. She'd never felt such pain, before she was thrown into the wall, her nose breaking, and then saw nothing but blackness.

* * *

The Mayor had tried to Ascend, but it had well and truly failed, Xander sneaking into his house despite the security, and ripping his head off, then pouring holy water all over the body, then finally stabbing him in the heart, and burning the whole house down. He tried to get back into the library undetected, but Giles was still up.

'Xander, could we talk?' Giles asked, clearly worried for him.

'Sure,' Xander replied, hiding his depression as best he could.

'Faith still not woken, I know you fought her, but you never did explain why,' Giles started. He stopped when he saw a few tears run down Xander's cheek. He almost saw himself, just after Jenny was killed, Xander said he tried to fight off the vampires, and knowing his strength and speed, he would have felled many a vampire, but apparently not enough. He didn't blame Xander for her death, the sole blame was with Angelus, Spike and Drusilla.

'Is it wrong to care for someone?' Xander asked. 'Is it wrong to care for them and want the best for them, even fight them to stop them?'

'I can't answer that for you Xander,' Giles replied, now as morose as Xander. He could see something he thought he'd never see in Xander again. It was affection for someone. 'The doctor's told me unless they can somehow restore the veins in her brain, she'll never awaken.'

'Really?' Xander asked, again, Giles was surprised by something appearing in Xander's eyes, this time a single ray of hope shone through the darkness.

'Is it worth the risk?' Giles asked. He'd seen Xander pull of some very risky things, even daring the wrath of Willow when she was corrupted by her power.

'When isn't it?' Xander asked, a new found goal. Giles tried to follow Xander, but lost him the moment they left the school, the predawn light providing nothing he could use.

Fifteen minutes later Xander arrived at Faith's hospital room, the life support machines still active, despite the Council's demands to turn them off. He looked at the needle in his hands, with the thin plastic tube, before he washed down his fore arm and swapped the lines.

'Lucky I remember I'm a universal donor, huh?' Xander asked, watching his blood trickle down the line, hoping for something he wanted more than anything than he ever wanted before.

* * *

Buffy walked to the hospital room, taking her watch over the weekend. She didn't think Giles was joking about what he said, but she desperately wanted to believe he was. She knew about the Council, after all she was back to being the Slayer, and she couldn't believe how callous they were. She saw Xander pull something from Faith's IV line, before he bandaged his lower arms, and if she trusted her eyes, tears land on the bed Faith was in, the tears seemed to be few and far in between, which made it all the harder for her to watch. She watched Xander disappear out of the window, then her gaze was on Faith for a few hours, the colour of skin slowly turning a darker colour, a healthier colour. After a few hours her eyelids seemed to flutter, before they opened, tears welling in her eyes for a moment, her expression almost a perfect match of Xander's.

Buffy stayed outside of the room, not trusting herself after what she managed to piece together with Willow, but unsure of what to do. She somehow knew Xander knew, but why he didn't share it she had no idea. She couldn't understand Faith, or Xander these days. Xander changed, for the better mainly, after Halloween. More importantly, he'd been the best friend she could ask for, perhaps the only man able to keep up with her with her Slayer powers, and the best person she could ask to patrol with her. They could both take care of themselves easily, the vampires and demons of Sunnydale fearing them.

On the other hand, Xander seemed so much more driven, and possessive. He'd not seem to settle down, the year he joined the swim team he had girls crawling all over him, lasting no more than a week or two with each. She wondered about Faith, the doctor on duty checking her and almost dropping the board in his hands in shock when she answered back, something in her voice telling a story Buffy was sure only Xander could understand it.

* * *

Xander and Faith stood side by side at the sign that lead to Sunnydale, now Lake Sunnydale. They looked at each other for a second, before they kissed, something so simple to another person so full of emotion and feeling for them.

'Xander, I'm sorry,' Faith whispered.

'Don't be,' Xander replied, holding Faith close. They kissed again, this one expression their love for the other. Together they climbed onto the bikes they rode, Faith had a Ninja 650, while he went for the latest model Fireblade Supersports, 1000cc. They kicked the engines into life, before riding away from the town, the others a few hours ahead of them. Xander gunned his engine, the loud roar almost deafening before he speed up, well beyond the speed limit.

_Max was right, she always was_ Xander though, seeing Faith had caught up quickly, the two engines and the wind singing in their ears.

* * *

**A/N:** I thought I might leave a note on where I got my ideas and what characters I used.

Murder - Xander is Bhaal, the God of Murder, from Baldur's Gate series of games, so Forgotten Realms. Faith became Auril, the Goddess of Winter. More importantly, both of them are Chaotic Evil.

Mortal, of sorts - Xander is based on my current D&D character, a Wood Elf Duskblade, while Willow is based on the character of an old friend, may she forever find the peace she lacked on this Earth.

A Dark Night - Perfect Dark, Willow as Joanna Dark, aka Perfect Dark while Xander is Jonathon Steinberg. The books Initial Vector and Second Front I enjoyed, but then I've got the comic as well and looking at tracking down a 12" figurine of her too.

Chains of Destiny - The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time and Twilight Princess. I've got those two, and I know them best of all of the games set in that universe.

A New Cat in Town - Dark Angel, Xander is turned into Zack, the most alpha of all the X5's.

Also, if you're interested, I've got a few more ideas up my sleeve. Maybe another, five to eight at the moment. I think they offer some unique stories. Also, if you could think of a more unusual ficdom I could use, please, don't be afraid to suggest it. Who knows, if you could also tell me a little about it, if I like it enough, I'll use it, if not, then it's not for me.

Please leave reviews as well, they're always, and eternally, appreciated.


	6. Xander the Barbarian

Janus was bored, exceedingly bored. He felt a worshipper call his attention. He willed the spell to work, feeling one of the costumes in particular. He saw the costume, and started to laugh, the amount of chaos such a being could cause in Sunnydale would be massive. More importantly the mortal in the costume had the right mind for it too.

_Perhaps to test this mortal_ Janus thought, warping the spell slightly, just as he wondered how much chaos he could cause.

* * *

Conan looked around, nothing he could understand. He walked towards a store, his large sword in hand, his faith in the steel in his hand and in Crom. The store suddenly exploded, a giant marble statue rising from the statue, this one seemed to have two faces.

'What manner of thing are you?' Conan demanded, not phased in the slightest by the animated statue in front of him.

'Face me Cimmerian, prove your worth,' the statue replied, equally as confident.

'Choose your weapon dog, and fight,' Conan shouted before charging at the statue, ducking under the swords that appeared before he swung his sword into the ankles, the sword barely scratching the stone. The harder he hit the statue, the more the marble chipped, scratches slowly spreading across the statue. He looked around the store, seeing a large hammer, though he could easily wield it in one hand. He dove towards it, the twin weapons of the statue barely missing him. As he reached the hammer he felt the statue grab onto his leg, pulling him away from it.

At the last second he managed to reach for it, swinging the heavy iron war hammer into the hand, the marble shattering underneath the impact.

'You break easier than an iron bar under my sword!' Conan shouted, his strikes now leaving visible marks on the statue, when the statue tried to parry the next strike Conan timed his blow to break through his swords, and then into the face, nothing left but shards of marble and dust. In that moment the spell broke, Xander returned, but in part, so did something else.

* * *

Angelus was totally stunned. He didn't expect what Xander did. He hated the man by the name of Ethan Rayne, having unleashed a true barbarian on the world. What seemed worst, the intelligence of Xander had been combined with a low, dirty cunning. The Judge may be immune to all forged weapons, but not to his own arms. Harris had charged at the Judge, ripped each arm out of its socket, and then repeatedly bashed the Judge with them until he stopped moving. The other vampires he brought with couldn't believe what they were seeing, and so stood still while the Judge was beaten to death with his own arms.

_Why do I feel I will learn to hate him more than I do now_ Angelus thought, his additions would make sailors blush like virgins.

* * *

Xander looked at the three football players ahead of him, all of them shorter and slimmer than he was. He couldn't help but laugh, something in his eyes annoying them.

'You're dead,' Larry muttered, before swinging at Xander. Xander laughed again, catching the fist and holding it still.

'Really? Do better,' Xander taunted. He pulled Larry forward, then picked him up around the collar, then threw him backwards, barely raising a sweat. He heard a tear, then looked at his shirt sleeve. 'Damn, I liked this shirt.'

The other two looked at Xander for a moment, before they backed away slightly. Their looked said everything they couldn't express in words. Xander was more than buff, he was a pillar of pure muscle and he was taller than they were.

'Cowardly dogs,' Xander muttered they turned around and walked away. Larry stood up, glaring at Xander. He charged forwards, only to be caught by Xander, spun around then slammed into the nearby lockers, the doors bursting open from the impact.

'Uh Xander?' Cordelia asked slowly.

'Was that your locker? Sorry,' Xander said smiling.

'When did you get so big?' Cordelia asked, her eyes seemed to be glued to the shirt he was wearing.

'It's nothing,' Xander countered.

* * *

Faith ached in places she didn't think she'd think she'd ever be sore in again. She looked at Xander stepping out of the shower, the towel snugly wrapped around his waist. She looked at him, starting at his ankles, moving upwards all she could see was a tower of pure masculinity. She looked at his chest, all of his muscles clearly defined, just like his arms and abs. She finally reached his face, somehow the rough stubble on it only made him look better than any other man she'd been with. There also was something in his eyes, something that glowed with intelligence, and cunning. Not only that, a desire she couldn't place.

'Faith?' Xander asked, apparently oblivious to her nudity.

'Xander, I'm sore...' Faith complained, seeing his reaction to her. She ached, both for him, and because of him, neither feeling dominate over the other. She guessed Xander could read her like a book, and one that had large print at. Overall she was glad she met him, and if she believed her own heart, he was glad he'd met her.

* * *

Mayor Wilkins wondered for a moment how things could have gone so badly. He knew he didn't have much time left, a dust covered barbarian just charging into your open mouth was one way of dying he didn't think about. He knew his Ascension worked, after all he had achieved the true form, but a part of him warned him that it would only make things easier for Xander. He started to try and throw Xander out of his body before something pierced his heart, and he knew no more.

Giles, as with the others was completely stunned. They just saw Xander charge into the open mouth of a demon snake, with nothing but a sword in hand. The expression on the snakes face was stunned, then amazed, then pained, before blood started to leak out of the mouth, the students in the first few rows jumping onto their seats to keep themselves out of it. After a few more seconds Xander walked out of the body, absolutely soaked in blood.

'Foolish priest,' Xander muttered kicking the snake a few times.

'Are you alright?' Giles stuttered.

'I'm fine, just disappointed, I'd hoped for more of a challenge,' Xander replied, before walking off the stage.

* * *

Glory, formerly known as Hectate was torn. She looked for the Key and found it very easily, however something else on that world attracted her attention. There was a mortal who reminded her of the old games, the ones in which everyone was nude. A shuddered passed through her, the change now complete.

_I've missed the old games _Glory thought, his body built similarly to the mortal she was looking at. He called the others, Hercules, Apollo, Zeus, even Aphrodite for some strange reason. There would be a new set of games, and they would be enjoyed by all.

Xander walked into the stadium, seeing a group of beings that immediately had the hair on the back on his neck on end.

'What manner of being are you?' Xander demanded, his body tensing for combat.

'We are gods, and wish to challenge you to compete against us,' one of them started.

'Name your rules,' Xander replied.

'I am Zeus, I will be the umpire for all matches,' the oldest of the gods said. 'You will take part in the true Olympic games.'

'I accept you challenge,' Xander said loudly. 'When do we start?'

'Tomorrow dawn, be ready mortal,' the tallest of the gods said, amusement passing across his face. 'I hope to face you in the marathon.'

'And I, you,' Xander replied.

The next day Xander arrived at the stadium, the other Scooby's behind. He could see the beings he was face were in loin cloths, with any long hair braided. He looked at Dawn, the at Faith, hoping they understood the message. Dawn blushed, her cheeks almost entirely pink while Faith smouldered. As Xander stripped off a very attractive blonde walked towards the group, Faith standing in her way.

'Stand aside girl,' the woman demanded, very little being left to the imagination.

Faith smiled daintily, then ripped the the amphora of oil from her hands. For a moment, the woman looked offended briefly, but then smiled, something which set off Faith's instincts. She turned around, walking back towards Xander she smiled, this time there would be a very good reason for her to have her hands all over Xander.

The day started out with three races, one sprint, over sand covered clay, the second a longer race, perhaps four hundred metres, while the final one was a short marathon of sorts, each competitor wearing full armour and carrying a shield. Xander didn't win any of those events, but then Buffy, Faith and Giles guessed he was studying his opposition.

After the lunch break, a few more events were started, the wrestling, boxing and finally the pentathlon. As the day wore on, the number of people watching increased, often the girls and women looking very flushed as their attention focused on certain people in the stadium. Buffy caught sight of Dawn, and she seemed to be very hot, her cheeks not just flushed, but her whole face. She gently tapped her sister on the shoulder, Dawn falling out of her seat in shock. Both looked at the last match for the wrestling. They saw Xander, and he didn't just look buff, but he looked like a Greek god, easily putting Adonis to shame. Every muscle seemed to glow in the sun, what's more, there was something in his eyes everyone could see.

When the match finally started, Xander facing someone named Heracles, and if Buffy believed what she saw, Dawn seemed to be very flushed at the moment. She looked around, plenty of other women looking just the same, some fortunate to have a less visible flush, but lust was clearly displayed in their eyes. Faith watched the match going on, each throw, hold and grapple clearly displaying the strength of the two competitors, and she was no different to the other women in the stadium, though her attention had been solely focused on Xander. She could see a few camera flashes, which left her feeling a little jealous, before her thoughts aligned themselves. She's be getting a show and a half tonight, and there was no-one else that would ever see it.

Everyone suddenly focused on the match, the dust hiding the two competitors for the moment, eventually it settled, leaving Xander standing over his opponent.

'A good match, I hope to see you in the boxing,' Xander said pulling up Heracles.

'A good match indeed,' Heracles replied, both of them full of respect for the other.

'Xander wins the Wrestling,' Zeus called out. 'Tomorrow we run the pentathlon, boxing and marathon, but tonight we feast.'

Faith looked at Xander, both of them would be wined, dined, but the real feast would come much later.

* * *

**A/N:** Shorter than normal, but just as fun I hope.


	7. Xander the Third

Xander had his costume ready, if not for the shoes. He just couldn't find the right shoes. He followed Buffy into the costume store that had just opened, almost too quickly, if he asked himself. He wandered through, keeping an eye for anything that would help, then he saw it. He saw the shoes he was after, and beside them a small pistol, and from what he saw in his mind, it was now complete. He would finally be able to go as his favourite character out of any manga or movie. He quickly bought the two items, totally ignoring his instincts. When he arrived at the school later that evening he was slightly annoyed with Willow as she was a ghost, again, ten times running it felt like, while Buffy was in a dress that seemed to belong in another century. He escorted the kids he was assigned for a while till he looked around, something seeming the change in everyone.

* * *

Wolf looked around, seeing complete and total chaos. There was no other word for it.

'Oh man, where's Jigan and Goemon when you need them?' Wolf asked. He felt for the pistol he carried, finding it was just where he left it. He walked through the town, hands in his pockets whistling tune, the various creatures seemingly oblivious to him. He found a costume store, eventually, and walked in, going by the cash register, it strangely emptying into his pockets. He continued to search the store, finding a man chanting in front of a stone bust of Janus.

'Hmm, Janus, I believe?' Wolf asked walking into the room, stepping over the ritual circle.

'Who are you?' Ethan Rayne asked, completely confused.

'Marble too,' Wolf continued. 'It's a fake, a good one, but a fake.'

'What do you mean it's a fake?' Ethan asked, now completely confused.

'You know, fake, counterfeit, not the genuine article,' Wolf continued. 'You really should check your supplier, I mean even I know this a fake at first glance. I've been caught out a few times.'

'Supplier?' Ethan asked, the hundred mile an hour speech from the character, not man, opposite him just looking so relaxed.

'Yes, supplier, which dealer did you get it from?'

'Johnson and Johnson,' Ethan stuttered after a while.

'Jeez, talk about being a doop, they'll buy anything,' Wolf continued. He looked around, finding a mace in the room. He hefted it before holding it steady. 'Well, there is one way to test it...'

'That is?' Ethan asked. He looked at the mace worriedly, knowing if the bust, despite the fact it was a counterfeit, would also break the spell. 'You don't mean...'

'Mean what?' Wolf asked, walking around again. 'Don't worry, this isn't for you.' _Though it should be._

'What are you planning?'

'Nothing much,' Wolf started, then swung the mace at the bust, the marble shattering under the heavy metal head.

Xander blinked a few times, and elsewhere in Sunnydale two vampires got the shock of their undead lives, the Slayer was back, and she was angry.

* * *

Jenny Calender was not amused. It could only be one of her students that could do something like accidentally crash an operating system without her realising it. She looked at Cordelia, who was glaring at Xander Harris, as if it was entirely his fault. She swore, then swore again, as a look of recognition passed over his face.

'Jana, Romani, wasn't it?' Xander asked in near perfect Romani. The whole class looked at her and Xander. She swore, again in Romani.

'Wow, I'll have to remember that one,' Xander commented in English.

Again, the whole class seemed to blink, no-one else had the slightest what was being said, and she was a little relieved. Xander tilted his head to the side, before an idea hit him.

'What do you know about Angelus?' Xander asked, back in Romani. Jenny paled suddenly. 'Giles might want to know about that.'

* * *

Angelus placed the final box, the one containing the Judge's head with the others, finally completing him. He expected to see the Judge any second, but nothing happened. He pulled open each box, starting with the legs, finishing with the chest seeing the parts. He finally reached the head, and opened it, seeing a soccer ball with smiley face painted on it, also a card proclaiming the work to be of Lupin the Third.

'Damn you, Lupin,' Angelus shouted. Spike and Drusilla looking at him oddly until they saw the soccer ball, both of them adding their own sentiments.

In another part of Sunnydale Xander whistling, the bag in his hands moving through the head inside rolling about.

'No weapon forged will defeat me,' the Judge yelled. 'You will pay for this human!'

'You need a new script writer. I mean you've repeated yourself seven, eight times now,' Xander commented.

'What are you doing mortal?' the Judge asked a hint of fear leaking into his voice.

'Well... you said no weapon forged can defeat you, so what about a forge itself?' Xander asked, almost joyfully. 'I mean, it's not exactly a weapon, is it?'

'You will not get away with this!'

'Maybe, maybe not,' Xander said, drawing out the first half. He pulled on a thick leather glove, before he opened the furnace, throwing the bag in. In the other boxes the other parts of the Judge became very hot, before they spontaneously burst in flames, nothing left of them except a few blackened pieces of armour.

* * *

Spike pulled the sword out, expecting to see the portal form. He waited a minute, nothing happening. He then heard a laugh, a large cartoon face, something that would belong in Who Framed Roger Rabbit, had burst out of the now obviously fake rock. It laughed for a while.

'I'm a fake,' the recorded voice started, its tone very happy and chirpy. 'Not only that, I'm wired to self destruct. Here I go-oh.'

Spike dropped to the ground, the other vampires in the building not so lucky as stakes shot out of the rock, no vampire apart from Spike avoiding them. He stood up after a while, seeing only pile of dust on the floor and swore, loudly, continuing to rant for a minute. Finally he promised revenge on Harris, and more importantly, this Lupin the Third that tricked him.

* * *

Xander saw the Book of Ascension sitting on the desk, and whistled a little ditty, no-one noticing him. He reached into his bag, a second later, swapping the real book with a fake, then walked out of the office, as he'd done nothing wrong. As he walked by the young blonde secretary he winked at her, bringing a sudden burst of colour into her cheeks. He walked out of the office and back to the library. The moment he found Giles, and Jana, he smiled, seeing their were focused only on each other he disappeared, the only sign of his presence his rapidly disappearing shadow. He saw Buffy ahead of him, and tapped her on the shoulder, her stunned expression as amusing as ever.

'Xander, don't do that, it's really creepy!' Buffy almost shouted.

'You're no fun,' Xander countered, before they walked away from the library, leaving the couple inside alone for the moment.

* * *

Adam stared the package with glee, before looking very confused. A bottle seemed to be inside another bottle, though they weren't made of glass. He looked at the centre bottle, the water, he guessed, seemed to be cloudy, before the centre bottle burst, the outer on shattering from the force of the blast. Both liquids covered Adam, and some of the vampires around him.

Adam looked at the vampires, most of them turning into little more than dust from the now identified holy water, but they didn't explain the smoke rising from the clothes of the few that appeared to not get hit by the water. They too, turned into dust after a moment. Adam looked down at his arm, then body, seeing lots of small holes.

'It must be Hydrochloric Acid,' Adam said, before a long series of loud thumps echoed in the warehouse.

Outside, Xander sat on top of the Bradley, the last of the shots striking Adam.

'Biggest gun you've ever fired, huh Jigan?' Xander asked, totally stunned to find a person who not only looked like the Jigan he knew, but seemed to be identical in a few other ways.

'Almost,' Jigan replied. 'So when you're returning this?'

'Take it to Willy's?' Xander asked.

'Why not,' Jigan replied, climbing out of the gunners seat, then squeezing his way into the driver's seat.

Giles was feeling very confused. He'd received a call from Buffy, saying she found what looked like Adam, though, it was only a pile of mush on the ground. He'd driven over to the warehouse, and identified what was left of Adam, little more than ooze, a few sheets of heavily scarred metal, and his core. As he arrived back in the Library he could hear Willow and Xander arguing.

'You did something, I know it,' Willow said, each syllable accented by her prodding Xander.

'Of course I did,' Xander countered.

'Of course you did... what did you do?' Willow asked, now completely confused.

'Well, this,' Xander said, walking over to the white board. He drew what looked like two bottles, the smaller inside the other. 'Now Ms Rosenberg, what happens when you put Cesium into water?'

'It reacts violently,' Willow said slowly.

'Very good, what happens when a vampire is hit with holy water?'

'It dusts.'

'Again, very good, now what happens when you put Cesium into holy water?' Xander asked.

'You have a holy water bomb?' Willow asked, before she hugged Xander. 'You're a genius! What's in the other part?'

'Hydrochloric acid,' Xander said, returning Willow's hug. She seemed to be completely stunned.

'What for?' she asked, a hint of anger in her voice.

'Adam,' Xander replied as they both stepped apart.

'Okay, but what about the tank treads?' Giles asked as he finally reached.

'I borrowed a Bradley, I'll return it in the morning,' Xander said, entirely unconcerned about what he'd actually done, or how many laws he'd broken.

* * *

'I love you Xander,' Dawn started, falling against him. The longer she went on the more his hair stood on end. He pushed her aware gently, leaving his hands on her shoulders.

'Dawn, you don't want to be with a guy like me, I'm trouble,' Xander started. 'Anyway, there are better guys out there.'

'No there's not,' Dawn countered.

'Sure there are, you've just got to find them,' Xander said softly, though the effect of his words was entirely unexpected.

'I want to stay with you! I'll do anything, even learn to be a thief just like you...' Dawn started.

'You don't want this life,' Xander countered, his voice still soft. 'It's no life for you.'

'What about you?'

'I can take care of myself. Don't worry about me, I'm only a phone call away,' Xander said, watching Dawn lean forward, her eyes shut. He kissed her forehead, before he stepped back, then ran to the car, his own Mini Cooper. He jumped in, gunning the engine, then disappeared around the corner, two police cars going straight through it.

'Xander...' Dawn whispered, turning to Buffy.

'He always came back when there was trouble,' Buffy said. They both saw the red Mini, both of them waving at the person inside, before the police turned up, Xander well and truly giving the police the run around.


	8. The Red Leviathan

* * *

Xander was a proud geek, and when he saw the black uniform in the store he was in love with it. He had just the silver bars to look like a Peacekeeper officer, and more importantly his favourite Peacekeeper officer. When he saw that is came with the proper side arm he was close to drooling. He pulled the jacket off the clothes hanger, the deep black fabric feeling strangely cold to his hands, though it was in direct sunlight. He tried the jacket on, then smiled as it was a good fit. He walked to the counter, everything back in the bag. He bought, barely paying any attention to what was being said. Though he had a feeling he should have paid more attention to the man behind the counter.

When he got home, he dug out the silver bars he had in mind, polishing them till they shone like they were brand new. After that he brushed what little lint he could find on the uniform, before he got ready, sneaking out. He met up with Buffy and Willow, Willow a ghost, as ever, while Buffy had a dress straight from the eighteenth century. He looked around as they arrive at the school, the Troll complaining mostly about Xander, and his costume. Eventually, after listen to a torturous five minute lecture from him, they were given their groups and sent on their way into the cold evening.

All of a sudden the air was colder, and wilder.

* * *

Crais looked around, the dual sensory input a calming influence despite all that was going on around him. He looked at some strange creatures, his pulse pistol out in a second, the weapon charged a moment later. The creatures backed off quickly, Crais firing at their feet pushing them away even further. He heard something in the distance, the language, he decided, came from a Luxan. He followed the noise, occasionally firing his pulse pistol, scaring off the creatures that got too close.

'Crais?' Crichton called out.

'Crichton, what is going on?' Crais asked, feeling even more bewildered. He could remember the time he and Talyn Starburst inside Scorpius's command carrier, their ends blissfully quick and painless. He didn't know what to make of his returned life, or Talyn's. Talyn seemed to be edgy, scanning for something.

He studied the group, a red haired being, something similar to a Sebacean, though her facial features were somewhat odd. He could see Chiana, D'argo as well, Zhan and another Delvian were there as well.

'Just what is going on?' the red haired being burst out.

'Jool, we've got no idea,' Crichton said, looking at her. He gaze looked down the street he could see Aeryn, though by the gaze, it was like she was missing something.

'Crichton, why are we back on Earth?' she asked. 'And where is Pilot? Has anyone reached him?'

'No, I've not heard anything,' D'argo said. 'What the frell is going on?'

'Crais?' Zhan asked.

'Hold on,' Crais bit out, Talyn calling his attention towards something in the same town. More particularly, it was a store, he guessed, a faint mental image of its interior in his mind. 'Talyn senses something in a store. It's a strange energy field.'

'What about it?' Crichton asked.

'He's not seen anything like it,' Crais replied. 'Talyn feels... threatened, he going to fire on the building.'

A second later a short series of brilliant crimson bolts impacted into the store, the explosion levelling the store, destroying the car outside it as well. In that instant everyone was restored, though, things were not the same. Xander could hear Talyn in his mind, the deep probing question, followed by a lot of hostility.

* * *

Giles was not the only one changed that Halloween. He looked at Jenny, aka Jana, at the end of the table, with the others, the weirdest mix of students. He could only think of them as D'argo, and so forth, rather than the people they were, which seemed odd. D'argo, aka, Richard, still carried his Qalta blade with him all of the time, Crichton and Aeryn, their pulse pistols, and so forth. Chiana, on the other hand, was even more feminine in her dress than she was before, but then, it wasn't hard with the figure she now had.

'Does anyone know where Xander is?' Giles asked.

'I don't know,' Willow started. She looked around. 'He said he's been talking to Talyn and they're getting along... of sorts.'

'What else?' Jana said, sounding just like her costume would have.

'He's confused, he said it was like having two sets of eyes, ears, everything pretty much,' Willow continued. She looked at the others, each one of them deep in thought.

'What else?' Richard asked, the same gruff attitude D'argo had present in his voice.

'They said they found other Leviathans,' Willow finished.

Elsewhere in Sunnydale Xander was waiting, the mine he planted just waiting to sense the insect assassin. He heard some rapid footsteps, the door being pulled open suddenly as Cordelia ran into Xander, falling to the floor the moment after she ran into him. He pulled her up, almost throwing her behind him as the assassin spotted the pair. He walked towards them, each step taking him closer to the mine. Xander slammed the door before the mine exploded, the heat of the blast getting through the door.

'Cordie?' Xander asked.

'Oh Xander...' Cordelia started, looking at the bulkier, and taller Xander. He also had that moustache she hated, but something seemed different about him. She looked at the hand she was offered. She placed her smaller hand in his and was pulled to her feet with a gentle pull. 'Thank you.'

* * *

The Judge looked at the crowd, somehow the group at the front unaffected. He could see the weapons they group held, all of them unlike any he had ever seen. He didn't think they could hurt him, before a storm of red bolts shot towards the group of vampires, each hitting turning them into dust, while the bolts bite into his form, his armour providing no resistant. The more time passed, the more shots landed, soon enough, only a few small sections of his upper torso remained.

Xander stood up, throwing the charge in his hands towards the remains, the few reaming vampires running for cover as the charge blew up the stairs, somehow Angelus and Spike escaping the blast, Drusilla having long since fled.

'Anyone else?' Xander asked, looking around trying to identify more vampires.

* * *

'You guys don't get it, we both need to do this,' Xander started. He was pacing. 'Talyn is restless. I need to get him away from here... before I do something stupid.'

'Like what?' Willow asked.

'I don't know, destroy all land based nuclear missiles,' Xander replied.

'That's not so stupid,' Giles muttered. 'Are you sure Xander?'

'Well, I just graduated didn't I?' Xander asked, picking up the certificate on the table. 'Crais was smart... I just didn't expect he'd be that smart.'

'Xander... can't you just send Talyn, we need you here,' Buffy said slowly, and uncertainly. If it wasn't for him, she'd have been in a lot of trouble, especially with Angelus still on the loose. Actually, if it wasn't for Talyn levelling the whole area, then the world might have ended.

'Got to Buffster, Talyn is... unsettled, so am I, we need to leave, for a while at least,' Xander said. 'I had the DRD's build a comm device. We'll be able to speak, and see each other, just not in person.'

'That's not the same though,' Willow countered.

'I know, but I need to take care of Talyn now, more than myself,' Xander said.

'What about Cordelia?' Giles asked.

'I'll say good bye to her in my own way,' Xander said, walking backwards towards the library door. 'Good luck, keeping fighting the good fight, Buffster, don't worry, Jenny said she changed the curse before she died, he should stay Angel, not Angelus.'

'Okay, thank you,' Buffy whispered. She watched as Xander nodded once, then turned around, his steps clearly a military clip.

A few hours later Cordelia lay on her bed watching the Leviathan gunship, Talyn, take off, before floating in place for a second before shooting off into the predawn sky, nothing more than a dot on the horizon after a second, then, not even that another second later. She pulled the sheets tighter around herself, a few tears falling onto them. As much as she'd come to hate Xander previously, she now loved him, his smell seemed to cling to the sheets and reminded her of what she lost for the moment. She pulled the blanket up over the sheets, her underwear falling to the floor. As hot as it was, she felt very cold, and more importantly, lonely.

High above Earth Talyn was currently firing each strike completely annihilating each land based missile silo he could sense, which was every single missile silo in the world.

'Can you find anymore?' Xander asked.

Talyn replied, quickly, the short bloop like sound a clear no.

'Very good Talyn, Starburst,' Xander said, feeling the energy dance over his skin as well as Talyn's, the red portal in front of him singing in his mind. In an instant Talyn shot forwards, a song like no other echoing in Xander's heart and soul.

* * *

Faith was new to the town, and she didn't believe the stories she heard from Halloween a few years ago. People had, according to Buffy, turned into their costumes, and there was one person who got a space ship. She walked back to the dingy motel, a few so-called people leering at her as she passed, before she stopped. A large black and red ship was in the middle of the park opposite the motel. It was easily five hundred metres long, and in places was taller than the motel building. If she was right, she could see plenty of small turrets along the body, as well as few on the underside and pontoons. She saw a door open, a man in a black duster walking out of the ship towards her, a pistol and rifle clearly carried on his person. She also saw a pair of knives on his belt, definitely of alien construction. She couldn't describe them if she tried.

'You're Faith?' he asked walking towards her, his whole attitude seemed to be focused lethality.

'Yeah, who are you?' Faith asked.

'I'm Xander, Giles would like you to come to the library in a bit, but since I was in the neighbourhood, I thought I might offer you a lift,' Xander said, with a slight bow.

'A lift, where to?' Faith asked, intrigued by the offer.

'Mars, Jupiter, anywhere in the solar system,' Xander said, walking a step behind Faith as she walked towards Talyn. As they entered it they swapped position, Faith a step behind Xander as they moved toward the bridge.

'Anywhere in particular?' Xander asked.

'Jupiter sounds good,' Faith said, never having the chance to see Jupiter so close before. She always liked to study the stars, able to identify many of them from memory alone. She looked out of the bridge, seeing the asteroid belt approach quickly, yet it didn't feel like she was moving at all. Another few minutes passed, and they had reached Jupiter, and more importantly, a new pair of moons that had been identified. She, like everyone else who was interested, knew the names, Alexander and Cordelia, wondering if it was named after the Cordelia she was told about. The two new moons almost shared an orbit, never more than a one thousand miles apart.

_Perhaps it's a message_ Faith thought. _They'd always be together._

* * *

Xander looked at the grave, Kendra and Cordelia, two girls he cared for lay dead at the hands of his enemies on this world, the vampires and evil demons. He didn't think Cordelia would start to fight the creatures, staking many a vampire before she was ambushed herself. He'd already mourned her as best he could, but with the discovery of the plans of Mayor Wilkins, he would start to even the score. He sent a quick message to Talyn, before the night sky glowed red with weapons fire, the Mayor's home and office quickly being levelled, nothing more than two burnt, black holes in the ground.

Xander pulled out his twin knives he earned as a mercenary for an alien species many light years away from Earth. They were made from a rare crystal, one that took over a hundred years to form properly. He walked towards the fledgling vampire starting to pull himself out of the ground, barely a second passing before he was dust on the wind.

He turned around, Faith catching his eye in the distance, similarly, dispatching a new vampire. Perhaps he would have a partner, at least on patrol, if not again, in love. There was something about Faith he couldn't explain, as if two broken souls needed the other to complete themselves.

Both of them looked into the sky, the tell tale engine plume of a rather battered transport pod approaching Talyn's current hidden hanger.

_The world has well and truly changed _Xander thought, both he and Faith moving towards Talyn, seeing, Xander to work out what the problem was with the transport pod, and just maybe help the people inside, Faith following him, and to hopefully meet her first aliens. She remembered about the shot she got when she was first on Talyn, and that Xander hadn't fully explained it either.


	9. Ice Man

Xander wouldn't look like it, but he wasn't the weakling most of the school thought he was. He also, had an interest in martial arts, one so far unrealised. He'd also discovered a show on television. One he absolutely loved, almost as much as the idea of seeing Buffy in a bikini, sometimes more than that. The last episode had his favourite character in it, and more importantly, he had alot of screen time. What's more, he had everything he needed, but one item, and he'd just seen it in the window of the new costume store. He could see Willow ad Buffy inside, but still hadn't moved from his spot. He walked into the store, a new found purpose in his step as he got the mask. Everything would be ready for tonight.

When he finally reached the school no-one believed his outfit, and the few that recognised it were jealous. He couldn't help but smile, everyone knowing what he was doing despite the mask.

* * *

Sub Zero looked around, his well trained instincts on alert, every single hair on the back of his neck standing up. He could see two odd creatures, almost half the size of a person charge towards him. He raised his arms into a guard, before turning his back foot slightly, ready to strike. The first two creatures backed down when a foul smelling person attacked him. The cutlass in his hands swung dangerously close to his throat, only for to lose it a moment later when Zero's kick broke his hand.

Zero launched a series of kicks that seemed to so fast the few witnesses didn't clearly see each strike. A forward kick, followed by a side kick, then a hook kick, finally a spinning kick sent the pirate to the ground, totally unconscious. Zero turned around suddenly, feeling something like a person behind him.

'Taja?' Zero asked, something about her setting his instincts off.

'Xander?' the red haired woman asked.

'No,' Zero replied.

'If I'm a ghost... you're Sub Zero?' the woman asked, her pale features seemed incorporeal for a moment.

'How do you know my name?' Zero asked.

'It's hard to explain... we need to speak to Giles,' the woman said, her hand passing through Zero's arm.

'No, tell me what magic this is,' Zero said.

'We all bought our costumes, or part of them at this store,' Willow started, before she watched Sub Zero disappear into a shadow, nothing more than the passing breeze the sign he was missing. She then caught sight of Larry on the floor, his jaw clearly broken. 'Xander...'

Sub Zero stared through the windows, seeing the curtain move in the distance. He put his hand on the door handle, willing some energy into it. He could feel the metal become brittle, then with a sharp twist broke the lock. He walked in, his feet making no noise. He could feel the sorcerer on the other side of the curtain, launching a cluster of spikes through the curtain, and into the sorcerer. He heard a stone bust break before he was drawn away, as if being pulled out of a dream.

* * *

Xander looked at Giles and Buffy, both of them wrapped in so many layers he could barely see their faces, yet he was dressed casually, wearing nothing in comparison to the other two.

'Don't look at me like that,' Xander bit out, his new, deeper voice still surprising him.

'Xander, this is... unusual to say the least,' Giles started, his breath turning to mist the moment it left his mouth.

'Yeah, you're not feeling this? It's 40 below!' Buffy all but shouted.

'Zero is rather interesting like that,' Xander countered.

'Forty below... not even vampires,' Buffy muttered.

'What did you need me for?' Giles asked, ignoring Buffy.

'Thing is... I need to get in touch with my powers, I need this to do it,' Xander said, pointing to the freezer walls.

'Okay, so you're going to spend the night here?' Giles asked, looking very confused.

'Weekend,' Xander replied. 'And please, put the padlock on.'

'You're crazy!' Buffy spat out. 'You're totally crazy!'

'Zero went through worse,' Xander said, his stance resolute. 'Do this so we can deal with the Judge.'

'No weapon forged, but the cold itself?' Giles asked, slowly pulling Buffy out of the freezer.

'I hope it's enough,' Xander replied, watching the door seal, then barely heard the padlock lock engage. He sat on the floor, willing the ice to form a cushion of sorts for him.

_It's going to be a long weekend_ Xander thought, the freezer suddenly feeling alot colder.

* * *

Cordelia, OZ, Willow Giles and Buffy looked at the freezer, somehow the cold seeming to seep from the door into the open air. Each one of them pulled on the thick jackets and pants they'd been given. Giles tried to open the padlock, but it seemed to frozen shut, before he took the hammer from Buffy's hand, and broke the lock. He, with the help of both Buffy and Oz managed to slowly push the door open, revealing a sight that would forever be with them.

Instead of the plain freezer it was, ornate pillars of ice and snow rose from the floor, forming an octagon in the middle of the room. Giles walked by the closest pillar to the group, the writing on it in a language he neither knew, or could identify. He could see some old Celtic symbols for seasons, but nothing else.

'Xander?' Giles called out, before seeing Xander sitting in something like the lotus position on a pedestal of ice, various shaped bits of cloudy ice formed around him. 'Xander?'

'I'm as ready as I can be,' Xander said, his body showing no signs of atrophy.

'Ready for the Judge?' Giles asked.

'I have a plan, but I need you to distract him,' Xander said, launching a single shard of ice at the vampire who snuck up on the group. He turned to ash after a second, the icicle strangely not melting in the direct sunlight.

* * *

Angelus, Spike and Drusilla sat in front of the television watching a particular episode Xander knew very well. They all knew what happened to the Judge, a man who seemed to be Sub Zero attacked the Judge, freezing him solid, then simply breaking the ice, turning him into little more than fist sized chunks of ice. They watched the episode, knowing they needed to find this other warrior, his name Scorpion.

They all wondered how they could find such a being, in the end, hoping Wolfram and Hart would have the knowledge to call such a warrior from its prison. Angelus looked at the credits rolling, finally deciding to get out of town for the moment, his dream to unleash the Apocalypse would have to wait while they defeated this Sub Zero.

* * *

Buffy staked the final vampire, her attention quickly drawn to the fight between Xander and the other ninja of sorts. Both were dressed in the same way, though the two vests they were wearing were different colours. Xander's was a deep blue, while the other was a bright yellow.

'Scorpion!' Xander shouted, the sudden sound distracting Scorpion long enough for Xander to get on the offensive, launching a long series of kicks that left her feeling very jealous. No man should have been able to do that, let alone Xander. Another fact came to mind when she saw a strike that was clearly from Sambo, something which left the yellow vested Scorpion in a lot of pain. It looked like at least one, if not both, arms had been clearly pulled from their sockets. A moment later Xander shifted his grip, the tip of an icicle appearing out of Scorpion's chest.

'You will never beat me Zero,' Scorpion said, coughing up blood the whole time.

'I always was the better of us,' Xander said, willing more power into his grip, Scorpion's body slowly transforming into ice. Another moment later, Xander's strike at Scorpion's neck cleanly broke the ice, the head shattering as it struck the floor.

'Is everything sorted out?' Buffy asked impatiently, her opinion obvious.

'He was far above your own abilities,' Xander replied, disappearing into the deep shadows in the warehouse, everything he did seemed so far beyond what she was able to do.

* * *

'Is this the nest?' Xander asked, Willow nodding in reply. She stepped forward, but walked into a wall of clear ice. She couldn't believe how much Xander had grown in his powers. She tried to conjure enough fire to melt the ice, but nothing she did broke it. She looked through the ice, seeing Xander make a sword purely from ice, the blade itself seemed to grow from his hands, every few inches a spike seemed to grow out of the blade, something like a giant saw in his hands. He bowed towards her, a short bow, before disappearing deeper into the tunnel.

She waited a few minutes, the silence strangely scarier than the screams of pain that followed. She counted the seconds till Xander reappeared, dispelling the ice with a wave of his hand. He seemed to have been weeping, though she couldn't see any tears. He also seemed to holding something in his hands, a statue of Kendra she guessed. The more detail she saw of it, the more she was impressed by the work put into it. It was a true piece of art, by any description.

'Xander, it's finished?' Willow asked, seeing shirt was torn in a few places.

'As it can be, as it can,' Xander whispered, still holding onto the statuette.

'How long Xander?' Willow asked, holding his free hand.

'As long as I have room in my heart for no-one but her,' Xander whispered, Willow sure she imagined the words, but easily believed then as she saw a single tear run down Xander's face, falling onto the statuette, somehow the water running into its eyes, forming tears on the statuette as they froze.

* * *

Faith looked at the school in front of her, wondering why she was even bothering at all. She hated the way Buffy treated her, only Xander seemed to be willing to give her any time, though he always seemed to guarded. She wondered if there was something wrong about him, but nothing her Slayer powers warned her about. If anything, she could sense a power radiating from him, a feeling of being more alive than the others around him. She turned, punching the man who snuck up on her, the strike easily deflected.

'Shit... sorry Xander,' Faith said quickly.

'No harm, no foul,' Xander replied. 'Shall we?'

'If we gotta,' Faith replied, sounding as bored as Xander did.

'You know what? Fuck it,' Xander said, pulling Faith in the other direction. 'You want to move in with me?'

'Yeah,' Faith replied, a little part of her lighting up, at last finding someone like her old Watcher, someone who took care of her first, her abilities second. If she was right, she'd have fun with Xander, mostly in the bedroom if she was honest, but maybe a little more.

* * *

Richard Wilkins the First had finally achieved one of his long term dreams, full ascension. He wished he could have turned the other Slayer in town, but she seemed to resist the idea and gave up on her in the long run. He looked t the students, seeing the one he'd learned to fear in part, but no more. Whatever the mortal could do would no longer hurt him. He waited for the vampires that followed him, but none of them turned up. He looked to see what appeared to be dust on the boy's shoulder, and the other Slayer, Faith's, both of them looking rather bored. He shot towards them, Xander turning the side, bring his hands back before he pushed them forward, a giant spike of ice shot from his hands, the glacier like chunk of ice tearing into the Mayor's snake like body.

Xander watched as the spike tore throw the Mayor's new body. Tiny spikes of ice pushed through the scales, the tail now missing entirely as the spike continued to travel forward for a few more feet.

'You have so got to teach me that,' Faith said.

'I can but try,' Xander replied, Buffy, with the other Scooby's completely confused. Giles seemed to be a little less stunned, but was far closer to Buffy's reaction than Faith's.

* * *

Adam looked at the strange ninja facing him, nothing he studied revealed the source of his power. He seemed to be able to make things from ice, while his partner, Faith, seemed to be able to control fire, her punches would cause vampires to ignite on contact. She could also throw darts made of fire as easily as Xander could put a person to sleep with a gentle touch on the shoulder.

Xander seemed opposed to her, having mastery of ice. Sheer force of will allowed him to conjure spikes of solid, pure, ice. Some of the time he would throw them, others times he would use it to finish off a vampire. While opposed in ability, both of them could conjure vast amounts of their element, Xander's like a glacier, while magma rose from the molten core of the earth. He hoped he would have been given some immunity to their powers, but nothing his Mother had done protected him from their combined powers.

He fired his machine gun at the boy, but a wall of ice sprung in front of the pair. All of a sudden it become bearably hot, then he looked up, a living being of fire floating above him, the eastern dragons roaring in rage. A massive blast of flames poured from its maw swept over him, melting his armour and flesh as if it was paper, before his core joined the pool of liquid which slowly cooled, all that was left of Adam a simple pool of metal, one Buffy and Giles never could explain.

* * *

Two people sat at the top of the building, a third person standing behind them. Dawn simple couldn't understand why her sister didn't like Xander, or Faith at all. Both of them were better at fighting than she was, but that was nothing to be jealous about. Both were also blessed with powers like hers to a degree, though she'd had the wind element instead of fire and ice. She couldn't understand why Buffy would hate them for that, as they were the only people really safe in Sunnydale. Not even Willow was as safe as they were and she was very powerful.

She thought back to Glory, and in a way, how easy it was to beat her and her minions. In between all that Xander and Faith knew about fighting they had started a freeform training dojo, and been very successful, so they lived together, and occasionally, when Dawn needed it, a shelter from Buffy. She heard the whispering in between Xander and Faith, something having caught their amusement.

'Dawnster, want to be the maid of honour?' Xander asked.

'Me?' Dawn asked, completely stunned. 'Why not Willow? Or Anya?'

'You're the closest we both have to a younger sister,' Faith said, the ring on her finger clearly visible. Dawn looked at the ring, the faintest hint of blue and red visible from the diamond.

'Yes, thank you, thank you both,' Dawn stuttered, hugging the pair.

'Told you,' Xander whispered to Faith.

'Three of us? Who'd be dumb enough to try?' Faith whispered back, Dawn taking a few steps back.

'You two are planning something,' Dawn said.

'In part,' Xander said, his hand in Faith's.


	10. Natural Bourne Killer

Giles wondered, and it was obvious about who. Ever since Halloween those years ago the world had changed, and very obviously at that. He had in his possession texts known to have been outright stolen by Wolfram and Hart, others in private collections of rather shady characters to say the least. He'd not seen Xander since he graduated High School, but had a feeling he was behind it. He looked to see someone walk into the library, Faith at his side.

'Giles, long time no see,' Xander said, his stance so very different to what Giles remembered.

'Xander, what a surprise,' Giles said, Faith waiting for the chance to speak to Xander on her own.

* * *

Xander looked at the fatigues in the surplus store, and totally ruled out the idea of going as a soldier. He didn't think they'd be so boring. He looked through the store, accidentally knocking a self. He heard something strike the floor, before he looked at what looked to be a set of dog tags. He picked them up, reading the name on them. He walked to the counter.

'Did you know about these?' Xander asked the clerk.

'Nope, never seen them before, they're yours if you want them,' the clerk replied.

'You're not yanking my chain? They're free?' Xander asked slowly.

'Yeah, don't want to have to log them in as stock, manager's an arsehole,' the clerk replied.

'Thanks,' Xander said, dropping the tags into his pocket. He walked out of the store, an idea coming to mind. He liked the books, more particularly, the character in it. He was a good fighter, and he was pretty effective at what he did, but he also had a heart, at least, once the brain washing was broken.

He smiled, and couldn't wait for tonight.

* * *

Ethan Rayne started the chanting, feeling the energy in Sunnydale charge with change. He could feel each costume he sold over the last few days changed, and one more. He couldn't get a feel for this one, it was neither here or there, something in between the present and the past. He could feel its lethality though, and was scared. He hoped he could get some form of revenge on Ripper, but wondered if his life was worth it. He looked at the marble bust, Janus was a fickle god, but even he wondered if an angry Janus was worth the chance to get out of town before this other caught up with him. He picked up the bust, then felt something solid strike the back of his neck. By the time he reached the floor he was unconscious, and the bust in his hands shattered.

* * *

Xander woke up, looking at the man on the floor and the long length of rope in the room he hogtied the man, preventing him from escaping. He looked at the knots, wondering how he did them, before turning around to face Giles.

'Xander?' Giles asked.

'I'm just as confused as you are,' Xander replied. 'I don't know what's going on.'

'We'll work this out, do you know what broke the spell?'

'What spell?' Xander asked, now feeling very worried.

'The spell Ethan cast to turn people into their costumes?' Giles asked.

'Oh shit,' Xander said, his voice sounding just a bit deeper than it was before. He ran from the store, and down the right, almost a full sprint if Giles was right. He wondered just who Xander went as.

It was three days till they saw Xander again, and he'd had a growth spurt, not to mention, going by the way he walked, a complete change in attitude. As he walked into the library Giles could see he was scanning the room, his eyes flicking to the weapons locker after half a second, before they settled on the self underneath the counter. They quickly flicked to Giles, who seemed to pale underneath the look for a moment.

'Xander, we've wondered how you been,' Giles started, before Cordelia walked straight into Xander.

'Just who are you? Don't just block the... Xander?' Cordelia started, before Xander hugged her. 'Have you been working out?'

'A little,' Xander replied.

'What's going on?' Buffy asked, seeing the new Xander, dressed in close fitting clothes, and more than that, looking quite buff underneath the shirt he was wearing.

'I have a plan for the Judge, I'll need all your help,' Xander started speaking, everyone listening to his plan intently.

* * *

Cordelia leaned forward a little, before looking at the sentry.

'But he said he would be on gate duty tonight,' she complained, loudly.

'Who?' the sentry replied, the rain running down his neck.

'You don't know who?' Cordelia complained. 'He said everyone at the base...' She stopped seeing a flash of a torchlight from the armoury. 'Oh, there he is, thanks for the shelter.'

'You can't...' he started, but by that stage he had become very distracted by the skirt Cordelia was wearing. He shook his head, before checking around for a sergeant. He knew someone on the base slept around, but he didn't know who. By the time Cordelia reached the armoury she saw Xander chewing out another sentry, and looking exceedingly manly doing it.

After a few minutes, during which Xander used some creative words to describe what he and Cordelia would not be doing in the armoury, he left, a little too happily for her liking. Another two minutes later, Xander and Cordelia had found the AT4, and taken it, with a few other items, mainly a captain's uniform, Xander muttering something about it being Army, but that it would have to do for the moment.

* * *

The Judge, came, and was spread over the landing as Buffy fired the missile at him. After that though, strange things happened, at least, strange by the pre-Halloween norm. The swimming coach committed suicide the night before a big win from the team, Xander winning a few medals himself, which had Cordelia jumping with joy, and had her angry with at the same time. At the competition alot of other people at Sunnydale High saw what Xander was, and they all wanted a piece, even Larry, which was a little scary to both Cordelia and Xander.

Apart from that, Buffy complained that vampires seemed eager to find out it was 'only the Slayer' on their tail, another hunter clearly in town. They'd found the body of a person after Oz, more particularly his pelt when it was a full moon, but he was left, quite literally as bait for a trap, and from the look of the trap, plenty of vampires had fallen for it.

Another thing which seemed very odd was that the number of vampires was really going down, and fast. Giles also noticed that Xander seemed to be getting alot of mail, some of the time it was delivered to the library, and Giles thought he saw the form for a concealed carry permit, but couldn't believe it. Giles, also managed to do some research, finding a series of books by Robert Ludlum, which might explain the changes in Xander, though, he didn't have any clue beyond that at the moment.

* * *

Xander looked through the scope, the head of Richard Wilkins the first, despite the fact he now called himself the third in that line, clearly illuminated in the light from the office lamp. He adjusted his position slightly, the heavy weight of the rifle in his hands only reinforcing the Webb memories he had. He checked the crosswind, it having slackened off for the moment, before he breathed out, waiting two seconds, then fired the modified MSG 90, the modified suppressor almost completely eliminating the sound of the shot. He quickly packed up the rifle, the guitar case just long enough for the rifle with suppressor to fit in. He walked down the stairs, disappearing into the crowd. He was glad he selected the courses he did, otherwise he wouldn't have been able to make the catcher he did for spent casings.

* * *

Graduation came and passed quietly, nothing, not even the foul treatment from the Troll managed to break the almost festive mood Xander and Cordelia shared. While her father had been caught for fraud, she'd managed to keep her head above water somehow. Xander meanwhile, used the chance to get away from his parents, and was a far happier person for it than he was before. The Scooby's all met up in the corner of the Bronze, each of one of them looking happy, Faith looking much like she did when she arrived, though there seemed to a life in her eyes she didn't have previously. Whatever had been chasing her was dealt with long ago, and if Buffy and Giles were right, which they were, by Xander.

'What are you plans?' Willow asked Xander as the party just started.

'I've a few ideas I'll pursue,' Xander said. 'Mainly though, travelling.'

'Cordelia?' Willow asked.

'Go to LA, see if I can be an actress,' Cordelia replied.

She continued on, though paying no real thought to what Xander said.

* * *

Months passed, almost a year before Giles heard anything relating to Xander. He wasn't sure if it was a good thing, after all getting a call telling him Xander would meet him in an hour, at a particular location, and most importantly to make sure his briefcase was empty was a little disturbing. He arrived at the coffee shop early, before setting the briefcase underneath the table as he was told to by Xander, before pulling up the selected paper. A few moments passed, then he heard someone sit opposite him.

'Xander, what's with this cloak and dagger?' Giles asked.

'It's required, for the moment, I annoyed Wolfram and Hart,' Xander replied quickly. 'I paid them a visit recently.'

'You did?' Giles asked.

'Yes, I grabbed something of interest,' Xander replied.

'What now?' Giles asked. 'You can't just go in there and kill them all?'

'No, but I can go after the Senior Partners, I might be away a while,' Xander replied, reaching for the empty briefcase, then leaving, disappearing into the crowd, despite the fact he had a good bit of height on him, Giles couldn't follow him. He reached for the briefcase left by Xander, finding it was rather heavy. He walked back to his car, driving back to the library he wondered why Xander seemed so relaxed about taking on Wolfram and Hart. If there was one thing he noticed in his last year, there was always a plan, always something driving him on.

By the time he completed the translation of the texts Xander gave him, Xander had completed his mission, and more importantly, sent a personal message to the powers that be.

* * *

Whistler was normally composed, and relaxed, it was his job to make sure things stayed in balance. Of course, when he was told about someone taking on Wolfram and Hart he laughed, as did much of the demon community, the few that didn't were already quite dead, and so, couldn't laugh. He wanted to be relaxed as he normally was, but anyone who had managed to surprise one of the Senior Partners, and come away walking, even if it was with a limb, was someone to be feared, and right now that mortal had a very sharp sword to his throat.

'Listen to me, and I'll even use simple words,' Xander started. 'Are you listening to me?'

Whistler nodded quickly, the cold steel very noticeable.

'I'm thinking the powers need a little wake up call, remember Lilah?' Xander asked. Whistler again, nodded. 'Consider what I took out a few days ago I think I might have enough of a chance to make life interesting for them. Just because they're on a different dimension doesn't mean I can't kill them.'

'I'll tell them, but they won't be happy,' Whistler said softly.

'Tell them Glory was a demonstration,' Xander said coldly, then knocked Whistler out with the hilt. He wanted to see Faith again, he couldn't wait to hear her voice again, nor see her in person.

* * *

'Xander, what do you know about Wolfram and Hart?' Buffy asked him as they all had dinner together for the first time in over a year.

'Not much, they're not what they used to be,' Xander replied calmly, everyone guessing there was something.

'Perhaps we could save this for later, I think we might be able to close the Hellmouth,' Giles said, easily reading what was going on in Xander's eyes.

* * *

**A/N:** Notes on who and what.

Xander the Barbarian – Conan, from the Xbox 360 as the title character,

Xander the Third – Lupin the Third, Castle of Cagliostro, the movie that introduced me to Jap Anime.

The Red Leviathan – Farscape, with Xander as Crais, Jana was Zhaan, Richard was D'argo, with the others unnamed.

Ice Man – Sub Zero from Mortal Kombat: Conquest, and it's a TV series would you believe, check out YouTube if you don't.

Natural Bourne Killer – Jason Bourne/David Webb, Bourne series of movies.


	11. Force to be Reckoned with

Xander looked at the range of costumes, nothing feel right. He saw what could only be described as a Corellian flight suit in one part of the store, while he could make a lightsabre, of sorts from the odds and ends in another part of the store. Nothing else seemed to catch his eye, and better yet, it wouldn't cost as much as getting the soldier costume together. He wondered for a moment what he was going to do with it, eventually deciding on some secret apprentice, though he couldn't work out to who, little did he realise, it wouldn't matter in a few hours.

* * *

Galen looked around the crowded streets, nothing the Force was telling him made any sense. Everything around seemed to be alive with the Force, the strange Jawa like creatures ahead of him. While not seeming to be hostile now, Galen still had his lightsabre ready. They spoke, their words so fast he could barely make them out before they turned, and ran away.

He thought back, knowing he died in the throne room of the incomplete Death Star, knowing the others had gotten away was a small comfort spot of comfort in the sea of chaos that was his thoughts. He looked around, a red haired woman walking towards him, though she seemed to walk straight through a few objects.

'Uh.... Xander?' she asked.

'No,' Galen replied sharply. 'Tell me, what's going on?'

'I don't know, we turned into our costumes... but I don't know who you are?' the woman continued.

'My name is Galen,' Galen said flatly. 'You would be?'

'Willow,' Willow said. 'Come on, we better find Giles.'

'Giles?' Galen asked.

'I'll explain on the way,' Willow said. They walked together for a while, till a shrill scream was heard, Galen charging towards the sound, jumping over a building, before blasting through a wall to save a woman in a dress that belonged in the eighteenth century. He couldn't identify the beings attacking her, as they turned into a dust the moment he pierced the heart or removed the head.

The more he fought the creatures, the more that came, at least until Sunnydale became warmer, as if a spell had been broken. This left a few vampires facing one Slayer, who was rather angry, and another person who could only be described as a Force powered wrecking ball. They didn't last two minutes.

* * *

Angelus couldn't help but gloat, seeing the full power of the Judge unleashed on the living people of Sunnydale, at least until he saw Xander do something to stop the bolt.

'My turn,' Xander spat out, brilliant arcs of lightning shooting from his hands into the Judge, and from him, into the other vampires. He'd seen the lightning coming, and dodged it with Spike and Dru, but none of the others could believe what they were seeing. By the time the lightning stopped the Judge, as with the too slow vampires were nothing but ash on the landing. Xander then jumped into the ceiling, disappearing so quickly no-one caught a glimpse of him.

* * *

'I wouldn't go down their Giles,' Willow warned Giles. She didn't like the new Xander, for one thing, Cordelia, while they were close, weren't dating, which she was torn about. The other thing was that Xander was so much controlling. He gave orders, not suggestions, and when she offered to keep an eye on Jenny he all but pushed her out of the door once he was sure she could summon a decent sized fireball.

'Xander and Buffy are sparring again?' Giles asked. Classic British understatement oozed from his statement. The last time the two sparred, they had been covered in bruises and Buffy was nursing a black eye while Xander was limping, hit squarely between the legs he'd guessed.

'Well, there's more yelling this time,' Willow said, almost brightly. 'If they're not making so much noise we're got to worry.'

Both of them paused for a moment, noticing the silence. They both walked to the door, seeing two shirts, and what looked to be Buffy's pants covering the window.

'How long have they been in there?' Giles asked, cleaning his glasses. He seemed to stare more intently at the clothes than he did before, as if checking they were really were they were.

'Half an hour...' Willow whispered.

On the other side of the door Buffy lay against Xander, both of them feeling dopey from the last ten minutes. She didn't know what to think about the new Xander, one that seemed so focused on getting what he wanted. She did like Xander, she wouldn't deny that, but with the changes brought Halloween it brought out everything she liked, only this time the harder she pushed, the more he pushed back. She wondered if it was she who was in more danger than he was. She saw what was left of the Judge, and only Xander seemed to be able to do anything like that.

* * *

'Zombies, great,' Buffy complained, catching the sword Xander threw her.

'Zombies,' Xander repeated. 'Front or back?'

'Back,' Buffy called out, starting to use her sword, a katana, to cut her way through the zombies, finding what was left of her new neighbour being controlled by the mask. Each time she tried to attack the eyes flashed, leaving her stunned for a moment. All it took was Xander to use the Force, which she still didn't believe, to throw a zombie at the possessed Pat, before Buffy's cut went through her skull at eye level, the mask, and to both her and Xander's regret, Pat as well.

* * *

Mayor Richard Wilkins was confused, very confused in fact. He saw sure his office was secure from anyone, let alone a standard thief, but the Book of Ascension was now missing. His efforts to control the second Slayer had again failed, though it was because she found a family he couldn't seem to break apart. They had their arguments, and fights, some of them physical, but after the group slaying of Kakistos there was no doubt the new Slayer was not only welcomed, but totally accepted, flaws and all. Even worse, to his opinion, the two major powers till the new Slayer arrived, Buffy and Xander were a happy and successful couple. Together they fought off many a vampire, and other demons. Even Wolfram and Hart seemed to consider the two 'hands off', which said something about the combined power the two had. One had, if you believed the stories the few survivors told, had off all things, a lightsabre, and was a very powerful Jedi. Richard really didn't want to believe it, but a tiny part of him warned that anything was possible on the Hellmouth. Buffy also, had really grown into the Slayer role, and was untouchable with Xander at her back. He had one more chance to Ascend, and this one would be far easier to execute. He would have the right number of sacrifices, but he would need alot of support.

The day, and time approached, and to his concern, he couldn't identify any of the Slayers, or Harris. All of a sudden the sprinklers came on, his vampires starting to ignite from the holy water, before a tip of a lightsabre appear from his chest, before it moved up quickly, Richard Wilkins knowing no more after a second.

Buffy looked at Xander, both of them lost in each other for a moment, before they remembered where there were. They shared a look for one moment that said what wouldn't happen now, would happen later, and would be very private.

* * *

Adam looked through the files, nothing making much sense. He knew about the Star Wars fictional universe, and about the Force, yet one seemed to exist in this universe. He had studied the lightsabre, and there was no way he could make one work. He guessed there was something in the crystal, but he could find no substitute on Earth he could find. Of course, if he could find a being with the right knowledge, he could maybe get one to work, but so far, nothing he could do would work.

He moved through the forest, something following him if the sensors he planted could be trusted, but there was no sign of any one, at all. A few more moments passed, a sudden smell of ozone before something took his head off, then Adam was able to watch his power core get crushed into a walnut sized clump of metal before everything faded.

'Damn it Xander, I wanted some fun,' Buffy complained, kicking the headless body of Adam.

'Maybe next time,' Xander replied, turning his lightsabre off.

'You promise?' Buffy asked, running her hands over his chest.

'I promise,' Xander said, picking Buffy up by her arse, pressing her into his chest.

* * *

'Glory I want a fight!' Xander yelled. He looked to see Glory was advancing towards Dawn, launching a thick piece of pipe at her with the Force. The strange doctor he dropped an entire house on was standing by her, though he looked a little worse for wear. 'Why don't you die?'

'XANDER!' Dawn shouted as the platform broke as the pipe cut through it, Xander's will turning it into a blade as it shot towards Glory and her minions. It cut through the doctor, but didn't otherwise affect Glory.

'Damn you, why don't you mortals just give me what I want,' Glory complained, following Dawn's fall, till Xander caught her with the Force. 'She's mine you know!'

'No, I don't, nor does Buffy,' Xander countered, Dawn holding onto him tightly. 'Dawnie, bad goddess needs to be spanked.'

'Be careful Xander,' Dawn said, one day hoping to have him as a brother in law.

'I always am,' Xander said, Buffy now hugging Dawn tightly.

'Xander?' Buffy asked.

'I've got an idea,' Xander said, a wrecking ball floating gently towards the ramshackle tower. 'Got the troll hammer hun?'

'Do I ever,' Buffy replied, watching Xander demolish the tower with a wrecking ball, Glory falling off, landing almost in front of Buffy. 'You even keep your promises.'

'I try to,' Xander commented, relaxing as Buffy laid into Glory, the weapon of a god doing alot of damage to Glory. Dawn glistened on the horizon, and Glory was little more than a pile of mush in the ground, in between Buffy and Xander not even a hell god could last.

* * *

'Xander?' Faith asked her good friend.

'Yeah?' Xander asked in reply, though he still didn't rise from his position.

'Just what did you plan on doing to stop the First Evil?' Buffy asked, now standing beside Faith.

'Collapsing the Hellmouth,' Xander said simply, before he seemed to focus more on the entire town of Sunnydale.

'Uh huh,' Buffy replied, though she started to smile, remembering the 'Look at me, I'm the First Evil, I'm big and scary' rant Xander had the other day. She felt the ground shake, a thick crack appearing all around Sunnydale, sections of the town falling into the vast cavern underneath the city, the ubervamps and Caleb trapped by Willow's spell and entirely unable to stop Xander's plan. When he said he was going to bring the town to them neither she, Faith, or any of the Scoobies really understood what he was getting at, but actually seeing him drop an entire town on them made a difference. For a moment she felt the Hellmouth intensify, the oppressive darkness that marred the town so much greater than before, then it was gone, a wave of dust and rubbles reaching their feet the only sign of what now lay at the bottom of the new Lake Sunnydale.

'Well, shit Xan, talk about taking them to town,' Faith said, smiling widely.

'I took the town to them,' Xander countered in precise English, all three of them laughing, followed by the rest of the gang, all of them ready for the holiday they had planned when Xander first told them of his plan.


	12. Dragon Ninja

Xander had a headache, he'd seen so many costumes that he liked, but just didn't like enough to hire. He wanted to do something really different this year. He'd walked past probably the best collection of replica weapons this side of the country, but nothing had tempted him. As he continued through the store he saw swords of all shapes and origins, easily identifying each one as he passed, again, nothing he liked enough to hire.

He stopped, seeing something in the corner, whatever it was having been cast in there by someone else. He pulled out the armless bodysuit, then the bag attached with it, seeing knives and a face mask. He found another piece of string, finding a bow and two swords, both of them very different in appearance. One had a jewel in the pommel, the blade free of any visual imperfections, while the other had a blood groove and runes on it, the deep orange a contrast to the stainless steel, he hoped.

He looked at the price tag, shaking his head. He couldn't believe it was only this much. He ducked down, seeing Larry enter the store, remembering the vending machine incident. He looked at the costume, seeing Larry found what looked to be a pirate costume.

_Ninja's always beat pirates _Xander thought, sneaking around to the counter, leaving the store before Larry had left the change rooms. He didn't know why, but he felt the costume would just fit, for some reason. He wasn't sure if he liked the feeling.

He changed at home, sneaking out his window he was sure the sword and bow on his back, the one without the jewel in the pommel, would hit the window, yet somehow he fit through easily. He also had another weapon, what looked to be nunchaku with axe like blades on them attached to the bodysuit. He walked to the Summers home, deciding on a little fun he scaled the outside of the building, sitting on the window ledge in the second floor. He saw Willow walk up the stairs, almost falling down in her shock as she saw Xander. Buffy walked into her, Xander pulling down the cloth over his face so he could speak clearly.

'Ready yet?' Xander asked, Willow almost pushing him out of the window in her anger. 'Nice boo, by the way.'

'Xander,' Buffy complained, Willow changing in her room. 'You scared her.'

'I know, it was fun,' Xander said as Buffy pulled him into the house.

'Clown,' Buffy muttered, dashing into the room after Willow.

By the time they reached the school it was dark, the children eagerly following his advice on the conning of candy from old ladies, one excited young girl telling a story of her poor sick brother, when she was an only child, to get more candy. Xander couldn't feel more proud of her, as she had truly taking his words to heart. He looked down the street, seeing a will'o'wisp dancing towards him, then everything went black.

* * *

Xander woke up, and nearly fainted. Right now he was balancing on the top of the school tower, on one foot, the other folded across his other leg. He looked down, seeing plenty more confused expressions, Cordelia the only one to notice his current position.

'Xander?' Cordelia shouted.

'Cordie,' Xander replied, focused on balancing for the moment. He wondered for a moment why his voice was deeper, but then he looked at his arms, wondering why he couldn't feel them. He sighed, focusing for a moment, something in him telling him to jump and flip, which he did, effortlessly. He landed on the ground, three stories below, lightly, barely leaving a mark in the grass. He saw another type of look, jealousy as the school gymnasts, both male and female glared at him.

'How the hell did you do that?' Cordelia started. She continued, talking about how Willow was an actual ghost, and Buffy an eighteenth century lady, and how they had some type of protector the whole night. He turned out after that, wondering just how he knew how to flip, having never even seen a gymnastics class, let alone been to one.

The next morning he woke up early, again, this extra voice leading him through a set of exercises before he went to the school, two hours early. He found his most neutral clothes, putting them on quickly after a shower and breakfast, but he didn't notice the extra weapons that had appeared in his wardrobe. A giant scythe and hammer, nunchuku as well as the strange bladed weapons he wore last night, kusari-gama and tonfa, a staff with large metallic, spiked heads with a large set of talons with what looked to be matching sections for the feet. Also, on top of the bow there was a selection of kunai, shuriken and a large windmill shaped blade.

He arrived at the school quickly, finding Giles sitting in the library, as if waiting for someone. He dropped into the seat opposite, Giles paling from shock.

'Xander, where did you come from?' Giles asked, wiping the spilt tea away.

'The door,' Xander replied. 'I think something happened last night.'

'Yes it did, what did you go as?' Giles asked.

'A Dragon Ninja,' Xander stated simply, some part of the ninja he was passing over, not telling the secrets of his clan. Giles listened, so stunned her forgot about his tea. After an hour Xander saw Jenny Calendar enter and she too was just as stunned, barely able to pull out a seat after Xander had started on the most solid of the dreams he could remember, two women coming to mind quickly, Rachel and Sonia.

* * *

The Judge studied the mortal he was told about, his hands resting on the hilts of two swords, as if ready to attack. He seemed confident that his weapons would work, though none forged by mortal hands did. He could see the focus in the... beings eye, the feeling he gave off was that of no mortal. The vampires that escorted the Judge charged towards this being, before he dashed forward, only an after image left of him.

The Judge saw the others he was told about arrive, but they froze, every one of the vampires turning into dust. He turned to see the being he first saw, before he felt apart, one thought on his mind. _He is no mortal._

Buffy stood shocked, watching the Judge fall into tiny pieces, barely two inches across. She let the rocket launcher drop to the ground.

'Xander?' Buffy asked, as did everyone else. He turned to them, before running up the wall in front him, leaping into an air conditioning vent, no sound made bar the passage of the wind.

'I think I need to talk to Xander,' Giles whispered, quickly taking the rocket launcher. You never knew what you needed on the Hellmouth.

* * *

'That's just not fair!' Buffy shouted, seeing Xander jump in between the two buildings, flipping in the middle. He reached the top, chasing after the vampire that had reached the top before Buffy did, ripping the fire ladder off the wall. They waited a moment, Xander somehow throwing the vampire into the air, before catching it, his throw slamming it into the ground, its head exploding from the force of the blow. Another moment and there was naught but dust left. Xander dropped to the ground, landing lightly on his feet.

'How do you do that?' Buffy asked, almost ordering Xander to teach her how to do it.

'I am a Dragon Ninja,' Xander said emphatically, as if it explained everything.

'I don't get it,' Buffy complained. 'You're a Ninja, yeah, but what do you mean?'

'The glass is too small for the quantity of fluid within,' Xander said cryptically, disappearing around the corner, and into thin air.

'He means there is always a third option,' Kendra added as cryptically as Xander.

'Have you spent any time with him?' Buffy asked. 'He's single.'

Kendra looked at the ground, she did like Xander, but wasn't able to tell him her feelings, at least not yet.

* * *

Faith glared at her training partner, his parents scared out of the house when they started to spar in the front law. 'Come on, I almost felt that.'

She watched as Xander smiled, attacking first he pushed her arm away, her follow through caught before she felt his fist impact into her kidney with all the force of a fully loaded freight train. She dropped a little, Xander, somehow, going over her back and landing on the other side, pulling her off her balance and sending her to the ground.

'Feel that?' Xander asked, pulling her up and over his shoulder. She kneed him, though it seemed to have no effect, before she got her hands under his armpits and started to tickle him. She wished she didn't when she was unceremoniously dropped to the ground, Xander still giggling from her efforts.

'Oh yeah boy toy. Round two?' Faith asked as they both got up facing each other. She watched Xander's front foot move, as if he was going to kick, but then she darted back, his spin kick almost catching her. She leapt at him, Xander grabbing her mid air and throwing her to the ground. Faith managed to roll with the throw this time, coming up a good three metres away from Xander. She could see something in his eyes.

_Her hair... it smelt so nice _Xander thought studying Faith for a moment. Both turned to see that sunset, their sparring forgotten for the moment.

'Ready for tonight?' Xander asked, heading inside. 'Staff or tonfa?'

'Staff,' Faith said, accepting the large staff Xander passed her. He took the two katana, the orange handled blade sparking as he touched it. He shook his head for a moment, the demon inside the blade whispering excitedly into his soul, already enjoying the upcoming violence.

'Tell the Weasel?' Xander asked, deliberately using Faith's _pet_ name for the new Watcher.

'Nah,' Faith said. 'Let's go.'

'After you,' Xander said, holding the window open.

* * *

Faith looked at the serpent that was the Mayor of Sunnydale, wondering why she even considered helping him in the first place. She wanted to retch at the idea of helping him become that, though she did giggle for a moment when the principle was eaten. She drove the lower head of the staff through the last vampire, the one that was at her feet.

'Go get em boy toy!' she shouted, hearing cat calls a moment later as Xander flushed. She saw Xander holding the oversized scythe, the only one still facing the Mayor. Buffy had just seen vampires and started to Slay, unlike Giles who attacked the Mayor as he transformed, Xander dealing the few vampires that went to attack the front of the group. They had been cut in half so quickly the dust fell into two piles, rather than the one.

Xander moved quickly, dodging the giant's snake attempts to bite him. He wanted a little more of a challenge to be honest, remembering the skeletal dragon he fought, as with the many demons of the next year for Ryu Hayabusa. He again moved suddenly, the Mayor only getting a mouthful of concrete. He swung the scythe, then reversed the blade, running along the underside of the demon's body the scythe opening a massive cut as he continued towards the head. He pulled the scythe out, bringing it down quickly he cut the head off the snake. He landed, lightly as ever, the head dropping behind him.

'Had fun girl toy?' Xander asked, moving towards her. Buffy looked at the pair, before she stormed away.

'Fun? What you got in mind?' Faith asked, pushing her chest out.

'This and that,' Xander replied, one hand trailing along Faith's arm.

* * *

'Xander! FAITH!' the pair heard shouted at them. 'How could you?'

Xander groggily lifted his head, checking the clock. 'Five AM, Buffy.' He pressed his head back into the pillow, and Faith's hair. 'Shampoo smells so-oh good.'

'What about last night?' Buffy asked, just as loudly.

'Ambushed him, killed, sliced, diced and crushed,' Faith said. 'Xander bought me a new sword afterwards.'

'But... Adam...' Buffy stuttered. 'I mean... Adam... tough?'

'Never looked up,' Xander said, taking the pillow to try and cover his ears. Faith pulled the pillow back for a moment, pressing herself as close to Xander as she could. Buffy heard some whispering, a hint of movement in the sheets before she just left the house, the same way she entered, through the door.

Xander started to laugh, Faith throwing the pillow away, and out of the window. She guessed by the shriek it landed on Buffy. 'You're evil.'

'Yeah?' Faith asked. 'You might just have to slay me.'

'Didn't we do enough of that?' Xander asked, now on top of Faith, his weight pressing her into the bed.

'That was last night,' Faith said, grinding her hips against his.

* * *

Glory was very annoyed that her minions couldn't even stop a pair of mortals. She tried to get the Key, but the other Slayer, the blonde one, had her hidden away somewhere. She turned back to the fight, her most loyal minions the only ones left, or so she thought. After a few more seconds they all fell apart, the clicks of four swords being sheathed the only other sound. Xander was dressed for battle, in the supposed costume he wore on Halloween all those years ago, while Faith had something similar custom made.

For a moment, Glory considered bedding the male mortal, the way the leather hugged his frame set of reactions in her she'd not felt in a long time. It also was that he could fight. 'Come on, don't you want a real woman?'

'Got one,' the male replied, a huge fireball coming from the female. She was considering moving to avoid it, but it reached her before she moved, actually burning her, slightly.

'You little whore!' Glory spat, charging at the pair. They looked at each other a moment, smiling widely they drew their four sword. Faith leapt into the air off Xander's back and shoulders, diving towards Glory she spun her swords as they passed, shocked that they drew blood. Xander's on the other hand bit deeply, her head and an arm falling off.

'Wow,' Xander said, sheathing his swords with exaggerated caution.

'Yeah, wow, now I want to make you go wow,' Faith said, stepping on Glory's body. She looked back, seeing it had changed, now the body was male, Faith seeing Buffy drop to the ground in shock.

'How?' she asked, sobbing loudly. Xander walked to her side, placing a hand on her shoulder.

'Don't know Buffster,' Xander said, pulling her to her feet. 'Thing is, she was in there with him, not the other way round.'

'That doesn't make it any better,' Buffy sobbed, Dawn now hugging her elder sister.

'No, it doesn't, Xander said, repeating himself. He let Dawn take her sister, Giles waiting by his new car.

He saw Faith and moved towards her, both of them disappearing into the shadows, the shuriken they threw into the tower demolishing it quickly, none of the rubble reaching Giles or the others.

'Shit, Buffy's boytoy?' Faith asked, leaping to the next building.

'Yeah, I didn't know him that well,' Xander added, flipping in the middle of his jump, catching the ladder then sliding down it, Faith above him on the ladder. He dropped into the open manhole, landing on the water and running on top of it, Faith only a step behind him.

* * *

Caleb looked around, seeing nothing but dust. He knew the second slayer was powerful, her partner just as much as she was, but even didn't understand why all of his vampires could be so easily defeated. He felt something pierce his chest, a scythe blade impaling him. He looked at the handle, following it to the cave roof, seeing the Xander supporting himself on the wall. He dropped to the ground, bringing the scythe handle down, before slamming Caleb into the ground, the scythe pulled away, an equally as large hammer appeared in his view, Faith bringing it onto his head. He saw nothing but blackness after a second.

'Ew... brains,' Faith complained.

'So you finally got some,' Xander countered, Faith's sudden swing sending the grey matter at him. It impacted on his scythe blade, before he cleaned the blood and brains off of it.

'What's next Honey Bunny?' he asked, quoting their favourite movie.

Faith smiled, glad Xander gave her the time of day all of those years ago. Not to mention how he taught her a better way to fight, not that she was too bad before.

* * *

A/N: Hmm, I have a fondness for Faith and Xander don't I? Don't worry, I'll try to use a different partner for him in the next few. We'll, I'll try too.


	13. Commander Xander

Commander Sheppard, lastly of the Alliance vessel Normandy, was feeling confused. He shouldn't be feeling anything at all, the Geth ambush, more like Geth strike force he ran into, had killed him. He could remember watching the incoming rounds rip through his visor, time so slowly he couldn't move to avoid it. He looked at his hands, nothing making sense. He looked at the houses, something that seemed to be ancient.

'Oh god Xander, you're...' a voice shouted, a rifle raised in a second, aimed straight at her heart.

'Identify yourself,' Alexander Sheppard shouted, his finger floating above the trigger.

'Uh, Xander?' the woman asked.

'I repeat, identify yourself,' Alexander said.

'I'm Willow, you're Xander,' Willow said. 'You've changed too.'

'Changed?' Alexander asked.

'You're some... soldier from the future,' Willow said. 'You need to follow me...'

'I am a Commander in the Alliance Navy, you're the civilian, find some cover,' Alexander countered.

'I'm...' Willow asked, shuddering as Alexander's gloved hand passed right through her.

'You know what's going on?' Alexander asked.

'No, but Giles does,' Willow said. 'Please, don't shoot anything, they're under a spell.'

Alexander nodded, the rifle still in his hands. Willow looked at it, not understanding how simple plastic and rubber could turn into what it had. The armour looked to be light weight, but very effective. It also didn't explain the slight the blue halo Xander seemed to have. The mottled green plates helped him blend into the night, the only time she saw him clearly was he was in the light.

* * *

Giles rubbed his glasses clean, for what seemed to be the fifteenth time in the last two minutes.

'So, Xander, Alexander, sorry, does any of this make sense?' Giles asked.

'Nothing at all, if you say I'm this... Xander, then what about Buffy?' Alexander asked.

'Oh no, we need to find Buffy, she's got a costume at Ethan's,' Willow blurted out.

'Hold on a moment, we can't just rush out, we need to have a plan,' Alexander said flatly. 'Willow, can you try her home and that suburb, I'll try the warehouse area, Giles can you try the main shopping strip?'

'Are you sure?' Willow asked.

'Alexander has a point, I have an idea I'd like to check out,' Giles said.

'Head out, we've not got alot of time,' Alexander said, clearly the one in charge.

* * *

Spike was having a very enjoyable day, night, actually. He loved the sheer amount of chaos the mage caused. The sheer number of small gremlins, or other assorted evil beings, was stunning. He'd seen an old woman shot from a house, the how's he didn't know, but the result was hilarious. He could see another three in a front end loader at the end of the street, ploughing through houses as if they weren't there.

Up ahead he could smell the Slayer, only she didn't smell very Slayer at the moment. Somehow the costume she was in had blocked her powers. He was going to have alot of fun tormenting her. He continued forward, his usual minions followed him, then one just dusted, his head a burning cloud of blue for half a second, then nothing.

'What the hell?' Spike shouted, another minion dusting. He saw the Slayer charge towards them, then pull off a wig, only problem was the last two minions just fell into dust, leaving him facing one angry Slayer. Deciding it was going to be another night he added a third slayer to the count, he ripped off a sewer cover and ran away.

'Pounce!' Buffy shouted, then covered her own mouth. 'I've been spending too much time with Giles. Xander, what's with the look?'

Xander was sure the guns he made should have gone back to what he remembered them to be, plastic, but he could feel solid metal through the gloves, and even he could see the shield in the moonlight.

* * *

Buffy walked through the graveyard, at least a dozen piles of dust and a demon body, and no sign of what had caused them. She looked into the tree line in the distance, nothing she could feel telling her of what was in them. She guessed the shots came from that direction. She turned to see a vampire rising from the ground behind her, a second later, and from the last direction she expected, she saw a faint blue bolt blow the vampire's head apart. The dust covered her top as the body continued towards her.

'Xander!' Buffy shouted. 'I told you this was my area tonight.'

'I told you, you wouldn't be alone,' Xander said, his voice coming from the radio he gave her.

'I can handle it,' Buffy countered.

'Last five minutes with a sword against me then you might,' Xander countered. 'Two more to go.'

'But dawn's an hour away,' Buffy complained.

'You want to dust something yourself?' Xander asked.

Buffy muttered angrily, walking back to the car, she didn't believe Xander picked things up so quickly.

* * *

'Stay away from Kendra!' Xander shouted, the assault rifle quickly extended, aimed at the vampires nearest Kendra. She looked to be hypnotised by Drusilla. He fired, three of them dusting on the first burst, Drusilla struck by one of the rounds from the second burst. She fell forward, dragging Kendra down with her, Xander's next burst all striking her shoulder. She pushed herself up, disappearing with the few remaining vampires.

Xander ran to Kendra's side, seeing the wound across her neck. He pulled out the final medpack, placing the patch over the wound, the nanobots inside quickly sealing the wound.

'Xander?' Giles asked, pulling himself from an over turned bookcase.

'She's... gone,' Xander said, seeing the patch turn red, so much blood inside. He pulled the Unity device from the holder in his armour. The metallic disc fit neatly inside his palm, Xander pressing it to Kendra's chest, over her heart. A white light came from the middle of it, a few moments later Kendra's eyes opened, coughing she looked at Xander.

'What did you do?' Giles asked, nursing his broken wrist.

'Created a third slayer?' Xander asked, not sure of what was going on.

'What is going on?' Kendra asked, her accent in full strength.

'Keep the patch on, it's going to keep you alive,' Xander said, dropping to the ground, he, like the others watched as the blood underneath the patch disappeared slowly, the bubble shrinking till the patch hugged her neck cleanly.

'What happened Xander?' Buffy asked.

'I... never thought that would work,' Xander said. 'It's called the Unity.'

'Thank you, Xander,' Kendra said, stunned into silence when Xander held her close. She thought he whispered a name, but she didn't hear it.

* * *

'Kendra, Faith, Buffy, I'd like you all to sit down for a moment,' Giles asked. He had to shake his head every so often, not believing that three Slayer's had been Called at once. He knew if it wasn't for Xander it would only be two, even then, if he was right about what happened in the Master's lair, it would only be one. 'Xander has been working on something and he asked me to show you.'

'Workin' on what?' Faith asked. 'I want some armour like his.'

'He's been having some trouble reproducing the shield,' Giles countered. 'He said he'd like you to try these out on patrol, he's going to give you lessons at the warehouse tomorrow.'

'Tomorrow?' Buffy asked.

'Tomorrow,' Giles repeated. He passed the compact pistols to each of the Slayers. 'He called them Typhoons, Alliance special issue.'

'Cool,' Faith said, sighting the pistol on the door handle. She barely touched the trigger when the pistol fired, the bolt blowing through the door, taking the handle, and a large chunk of the door with the bolt. 'Whoops.'

'Xander warned me they were quite powerful,' Giles commented. 'I believed he described them as too much gun for most, but not for a Slayer.'

'Wanna head out B?' Faith asked. 'K has the night off.'

'Yeah, sure, can't wait to try it,' Buffy said, leaving her finger running along the body of the pistol, as she saw Xander shooting. Kendra said goodbye to Giles, finding the warehouse after a quarter hour she saw Xander moving through a kata. She didn't think she could ever spend time with anyone, apart from her Watcher, but she shared the Slayer title with two others, and they all were sisters, despite their differences. Faith was still adapting to her position, but after the night she and Xander spoke, the woman inside Kendra telling her more happened, she didn't settle, but was closer to the group than she was before. She was so lost in her thoughts she didn't see Xander stop, nor move in front of her.

'You okay Kendra?' Xander asked, stunned when she initiated the hug.

* * *

'Hi Adam,' Buffy called. She liked the feel of the armour Xander finally developed. She also couldn't believe how rich he was, selling patents for very effective batteries and other things beyond her knowledge. She saw Faith and Kendra, each with their own preferred weapon out, Faith loved the long barrel shotgun Xander built just for her, while Kendra went for the assault rifle, just as Xander did.

Buffy's own armour was suited for a person who preferred dual pistols, though her own pistols far outweighed the others she'd seen. Their rate of fire was insane, Buffy barely able to fire the pair at once. Also in addition to that, their armour had a special slot for a stake, reloadable as well as they could fire it with a flick of their wrist.

Machine gun fire raced towards them, their shields absorbing the impacts, the chain gun morphing into a grenade launcher after a moment. They split apart, Faith and Kendra ending up side by side, Buffy on the other side of the room. They all felt the blast, but their training with Xander kicked in, Faith and Buffy covering Kendra as she flanked the abomination, Kendra firing on the move, till she reached cover. Her shots left deep marks, cutting through the steel armour and ripping chunks out of his flesh. Faith's blast blew bits off Adam, one round breaking a hole in the power core. A pair of bursts from Buffy removed Adam's head, Kendra's final burst scattering the remains of the power core across the room, reaching the hallway. Adam's body dropped to the ground, steam rising from the multiple burns.

* * *

'Kendra?' Xander asked, seeing the Jamaican Slayer sitting on the ledge of the balcony for the flats inside the warehouse.

'Xander?' Kendra asked, her accent almost totally gone. 'How are you?'

'I'm fine, but the question is you,' Xander started, sitting by her side. 'I'm your friend, more if you want.'

'I want you to be happy, Xander,' Kendra said after a moment. She finally met Xander's gaze, the soul reading eyes he had filling her with hope.

'So do I,' Xander replied. He hugged Kendra. One hand found the back of her neck quickly, their lips meeting gently for a moment. Kendra repeated Xander's gesture, their second kiss much longer than the first.

* * *

'I present Buffy Bot mark 2!' Xander said, pulling the curtain off the bot.

'Hi guys,' Buffy bot said, waving just the way Buffy would.

'How?' Giles asked. 'How can it be so... natural?'

'I upgraded it,' Xander said. 'Sheppard was a genius with electronics.'

'Even still, it's amazing,' Willow added. 'How? What did you do?'

'I created a VI, Virtual Intelligence, using the security footage from the warehouse I used some motion capture and a few other tricks, as well as the mannerisms I knew Buffy used.'

'We, come on guys, it's me,' Buffy bot said, just as her real, flesh and blood version, would have done. 'It's not like I'm just some robot. That's nuts.'

'Very good Xander,' Giles said. 'Buffy, could you help in the Magic shop?'

'Sure Giles,' Buffy bot replied brightly, following Giles out of the room.

'Is there something else?' Willow asked.

'She's... based on Buffy, it's just Buffy, but not,' Xander countered. 'Anyway, I'm engaged, remember?'

'Alright,' Willow muttered.

* * *

'Kendra, all weapons are clear?' Xander asked.

'Clear,' Kendra repeated.

'Xander, as amazed as I am, how on Earth did you make this?' Giles asked.

'Not on Earth,' Xander said. 'On the moon, you'd be surprised what you can get away with when you have lots of money and military contracts.'

'I see,' Giles said. 'What are you planning on doing?'

'Blowing up Sunnydale,' Xander started. 'Buffy, Faith, locked on?'

'Locked on,' Faith said, Buffy following her a moment later.

'Willow, start the run,' Xander said, clearly in his element.

'Run started,' Willow said, her position at the helm reminiscent of Joker, the red hair all Xander and Giles could see of her at the navigation desk.

Xander waited a few seconds. 'Kendra, open fire.'

'Firing,' Kendra said, the Normandy mark 2 shuddering as the weapons fired, the torpedoes and other munitions lancing through the atmosphere, the blue clouds levelling the town quickly, what was left of the town all but memories in the minds of those who lived there.

'Giles, I'm resigning, you're in charge,' Xander said suddenly, pulling Kendra from her seat once he reached her.

'What are you doing?' Giles asked.

'See, the captain of a ship can marry people,' Xander started, Kendra smiling.

'Think this counts as international space?' she asked, her own accent something between that of Xander's and Giles.

'I should think so, are there any with objections?' Giles started, this new era off to the best of starts.


	14. Resident Chaos

Chris Redfield felt seedy. Not just seedy, but something that even the feeling of seediness would describe as being seedy. It reminded him of the night he went drinking with Leon after he returned from Africa with Jill. That was something that should have gone down in the record books. The things that he'd seen, and killed, were beyond description, the bullet proof vest that wasn't, not to mention the number of cuts he had.

He studied the streets, recognising it as residential America, a fact about as useful as the time it was, which he wasn't sure on. The watch worked, but the time, eighteen hundred, with the total lack of sunlight left his feeling uneasy in the humid weather. He felt familiar weights on his body, patting his chest and finding a tactical vest.

'This is weird,' Chris said, he rubbed his eyes, catching a glimpse of a SIG 556 across his chest.

'Chris?' someone called out, the SIG pointed at their forehead.

'Leon?' Chris asked, recognising his friend quickly. 'Do you have any idea what's going on?'

'It's not Saddler,' Leon started.

'Or Wesker,' Chris continued.

'Or Umbrella,' Jill Valentine said as she joined the group. 'And I don't see any signs of Tricell either.'

'Where are we?' Leon asked. 'The last thing I remember...'

'The bender,' Chris replied. 'That's the last thing, but that's in Washington....'

'Which isn't here,' Jill said, cutting both men off. The three turned to see a person with bright yellow eyes and a distorted face growl at them, a rifle and a pair of handguns quickly pointed, and fired at him. The dust didn't even reach the ground, the head effectively destroyed from the number and size of the rounds.

'FMJ, all the way,' Chris sang, Jill chuckling softly.

Again, all three turned to face the direction a shout came from, this time it was a woman calling out a name. Jill and Leon moved forward, Chris covering the rear, the house they passed through strangely unlocked. Chris didn't notice anything out of place, nor any smells he associated with decomposing flesh, Jill scanning for the same clues, both visual and nasal.

Leon had reached the back fence, using his knife he had pried one bar free.

'Ashley, you're...' Leon started. 'What are you doing here?'

'I don't know, I went to sleep, and then I was awake, here,' Ashley replied. 'Uh Leon, you remember...'

'Run! Ashley, we're just behind you,' Leon shouted, firing his pistol at the oncoming creatures.

'Jill, try to catch up!' Chris shouted, joining Leon in clearing the fence, landing facing the direction the zombie, or whatever it was, came from. He heard Leon land close to him, firing a few shots in the back of the creature, little more than dust left like the other. Jill was nowhere in sight.

'You recognise them?' Leon asked.

'No, it's a new B.O.W.,' Chris replied, checking the clear rear section of the magazine. 'Can you see Jill?'

'She just cleared the fence three houses down,' Leon whispered.

'More of them?' Chris whispered back.

'Oh yeah, did you bring grenades?' Leon asked.

'Yellow eyes, long fangs?' Chris asked, not needing to hear the reply he continued. 'Five frag, three incendiary, back pocket, the big one in the middle.'

Chris felt the pocket become heavier, then lighter, knowing the three grenades now missing would be the incendiary ones. He heard the screams, but didn't look, keeping his quarter, covered.

'Dust, literally,' Leon said. 'Ashley, you're okay.'

'Of course I am, I found an empty bin, ran right by me,' Ashley countered. 'And don't even think about using the sewers. Once is bad enough!'

'I wasn't,' Leon said quickly. 'Jill?'

'I took three down, the others got away,' Jill said, catching her breath. 'Chris?'

'New B.O.W., don't know anything, no word from anyone,' Chris replied. 'They just turn to dust. We need to find a secure place. Barricade the windows.'

'The last house looked good, small windows, narrow stairs,' Jill said.

'Sounds good,' Chris started, before his head felt like it was going to explode. He woke up again, lying across the sofa in Leon's flat, this time in Washington, going by the fact he could see the White House in the distance.

'Leon, you awake?' Chris groaned.

'Barely,' Leon groaned back, his hair a total mess, and covering his eyes entirely unlike it normally was.

'You have any weird dreams?' Chris asked, for once scared by the answer.

* * *

Xander looked at the disassembled pistol in front of him, closing his eyes he placed his hands on the pieces, and felt the other memories guide his hand. He finished a minute later, not exactly a record, but something he was sure would leave the soldiers at the local army base feeling exceedingly inferior. He opened his eyes, staring at an expertly assembled pistol, every single piece used. He slid the empty magazine into the grip with a practised ease he thought Chris Redfield didn't have, then fired the pistol and safed it. He stored it, with the other items he gained that night and didn't turn back. The SIG 556 was something he really didn't want to explain, to anyone, and with the meeting in an hour, he'd have to think fast. The most surprising thing was the BSAA badge was real. He knew a fake when he saw it, or Chris did, but this one was real.

He could remember alot more now a few days had passed. All the way back to the Mansion Incident, as it was called. He lived through it, or at least had memories of living through it, and knew it was more than just an incident. Something he shared with Leon, with the Kennedy Report. The Las Plagas, more particularly Del Lagos, left him with bad dreams, and he didn't even see it. U-8 was bad enough, in his opinion, and whatever Irving transformed into was something else, he at least had high calibre weapons in the case of the later, and in the former, few things like eating high explosives. Neither did Del Lagos like eating harpoons, but that wasn't the point.

Before Xander knew it he was sitting in his seat in the library, drinking coffee so black it put a total eclipse to shame.

'Xander, who did you go as?' Giles asked, though it was clear he'd already spoken to Willow and Buffy.

'Chris Redfield, take a look,' Xander said, sliding the ID wallet across the table. 'It's genuine.'

'BSAA Field Agent Chris Redfield,' Giles read. 'How much lasted?'

'Just about everything, all the way back to the Arklay Mountains,' Xander replied.

'As in Resident Evil?' Willow asked, surprising everyone. 'Yes, I have a PS.'

'As in that Chris Redfield, yes, though there's alot more,' Xander started, explaining everything as best he could. He was so focused on his story he didn't see Cordelia, leaning against the doorway, her posture an exact match for another.

'Then you finally ripped that thing off,' Cordelia said, finishing Xander sentence.

'Cordelia?' Giles asked. 'What did you go as?'

'His partner,' Cordelia started, only to be cut off by Xander.

'Jill Valentine,' Xander said.

'This is weird,' Buffy started. 'I mean I still got all this stuff about tea, by the way Giles, buy some better leaves, and porcelain, but the two of you?'

'Think of how it is for me,' Cordelia said. 'You need better locks Xander, I... borrowed the M92R.'

'I thought so, you could have asked,' Xander replied. 'I put in better ones anyway.'

'Yes, well, what do you make of these?' Giles said, passing two photographs to Xander and Cordelia.

'T-Virus, where did you get these?' Cordelia asked.

'Definitely T-Virus,' Xander added quickly. 'Don't tell me...'

Giles passed one last photograph across, Xander easily recognising one of the occupants, the last time he'd seen Wesker was in the magma, before the smoke trail from the RPG blocked his sight, or the blast. The woman looked to be in her late thirties to early forties, but beyond that he didn't know anything. He passed the photograph to Cordelia.

'Shit,' Xander said flatly, Cordelia repeating his sentiment shortly afterwards.

'Are there any others?' Giles asked.

'Tell them?' Cordelia asked Xander.

'I guess so, there's two others,' Xander said.

'And?' Buffy asked. 'They're only zombies, off with the head right Giles?'

'Buffy, you're crazy, they're more than just zombies,' Willow objected.

Xander and Cordelia remained silent, Giles quickly defusing the situation. They both knew it was more, far more than they could make the others believe, even with the vampires and demons in Sunnydale.

* * *

Sunnydale was a strange town. It always had been a strange town. Vampires for one thing learned to avoid it, unless they were either insane, like Drusilla, in love with an insane vampire, Spike, aka William the Bloody, or Angelus. It was widely known among that crowd if you were Angelus, you were in a league of your own. Those who followed him never had it so good, or so bad. The appearance of three, or four, depending who you asked, new hunters with experience fighting entirely unnatural things was a major change in the balance of power. Of course, they did have some difficulties with ammunition, which were solved when Cordelia used a fund her mother set up for her to not only buy a gun store under an assumed name, but invest, with much greater success than her father ever did.

When the Judge was finally revealed, not that it lasted long, only enough time for Xander, who had the most experience with heavy weapons, to get a good sight on the target and fire. The rocket took less than a second to turn the Judge into little more than charcoal and scrap metal, the vampires burning in the holy water that had been added to the sprinkler system. All of this, without Buffy or Giles being the wiser.

Xander and Cordelia's grades had shot up, Leon and Ashley, they're actual names to the previous two surprise, had dressed in a way that matched their characters, if that was the right word, accurately, the god of chaos deciding to take his knowledge of other universes and twist the spell. It made perfect sense to Cordelia, Xander arguing that it shouldn't make sense. Both were saddened by the loss of Kendra, one of the last people they thought would be so easily ensnared by a vampire. Xander had seen to Angel, his soul returned to him, sending him into the Hell dimension, Buffy barely able to hold the sword straight after the beating she'd taken, not only getting to Giles, but fighting through the vampires Angelus had gathered. As bad as Xander felt about it, he chewed Buffy out for not waiting for support. He even had Leon describe the things he fought, both with and without help. She did seem to realise she needed the help. With that note, Giles started to train Willow with her magic, though the older man was quickly outclassed, Willow was better understanding her own powers, and how they linked her to the world.

The final year at school for Xander and Cordelia was heralded by their holiday together, following the memories of Chris and Jill. They grew closer, but no signs of any romance could be seen. Willow, the devoted fan of the series she was, had a feeling that they were going to end up together, after all they had been apart for so long it was obvious to her. Xander, deep down, thought Willow had a point, but was simply glad to have Cordelia. He would value her, as Chris did Jill, even if she was just Cordelia, but instead seemed to be a hybrid of the two. Memories and knowledge of Jill seemed to almost take over from Cordelia, but the same bite Cordelia had remained, though it was greatly softened when it was directed at him. On the opposite side, his own, Xander wondered how much of Chris he picked up. In every hotel he stayed at he pumped iron with the other guys, often outclassing them in repeats without any effort. On top of that their BSAA cards got them through airport security with enough weapons to start a minor war in Africa.

They returned to Sunnydale, to meet a new Slayer, and a new threat, one that put even the massive Uroboros to shame.

* * *

'So, Faith, before you kick me out, you want to go hunting this weekend?' Xander asked, smirk firmly etched on his face.

'What?' Faith asked. 'How did you...'

'Hunting, you, me, Cordie and Leon, interested?' Xander repeated, dressing quickly.

'Hunting what?' Faith asked. 'With what?'

'Mountain goat, bow or rifle,' Xander continued, pulling the raglan cut shirt on first. The second shirt followed it quickly. Finally the handgun, SIG P226, was secured to his belt.

'I don't have a bow,' Faith stuttered. 'You really want me there boytoy?'

'All slay, little play, not so good, is it?' Xander asked rhetorically. 'I'll get you one, I want to get myself one.'

'I'm in,' Faith said quickly, sounding like an excited child at Christmas.

Little did they know a few extra things came back that Halloween night, one of them was the stamina, it was the only way he could keep up with a Slayer in full power. Another one was strength, which he found out when he drew a 70 pound bow back, without breaking a sweat, for the first time. He would find one more, but not for a while yet.

* * *

'On target,' Leon's voice echoed in Xander's ear.

'Charges set,' Cordelia added.

'Last vamp dusted,' Faith said. 'How do you get used to these things? You're all shouting.'

'You get used to it,' Cordelia said. 'I'm clear, starting the evac.'

'I see you,' Faith replied.

'If it's anything,' Xander started. 'You don't notice it with the gunfire.'

'Huh?' Faith barely managed to ask, two bullets, one from a MSG 90, the other the SR 25, taking out the eyes of the giant snake the Mayor had become. Quickly twin laser sights were pointed at the scales on the underbelly, the darker scales of the head reflecting the light, stopping the AT4's from getting a lock. Despite the very accurate hearing, namely the fact the Mayor had already eaten Principle Snyder, the rockets struck, leaving massive wounds. As it was hoped, for once everything working out as they had planned, he retreated through the school, his final words hardly profound, yet shouted would have been recorded.

'Well, gosh,' Richard Wilkins the first said as he expired, the rest of his words lost in the blast.

* * *

'Cordie, help me cover the Initiative!' Xander shouted over the sounds of the battle raging below. He could pick out Faith and Leon, working side by side, Ashley finally having stolen his heart like Cordelia had finally taken his. Leon had a MP5, each one of his shots expertly placed, vampires and demons falling quickly.

Xander set up the rifle, the SR 25 which he preferred over others of its type, taking aim at a Polgara demon, minus one arm. The FMJ round ripped through its forehead, splattering the beings around it with blood. A half second later another demon fell, the distinctive crack of the AW rifle in Cordelia's hands, likewise, another demon fell, little more than a jaw left of its head.

Xander saw Buffy fighting Adam in the distance, Riley taking what he guessed would have been his place if it wasn't for that night a few years ago. It was scary, but no more than seeing one particular shadow looming over him. He turned, catching the fist, then throwing Wesker into the wall, the concrete buckling from the impact.

'Chris, you're going to pay!' Wesker shouted, leaping over Xander, he barely had enough time to retrieve his rifle before he saw Wesker disappear up the elevator shaft, into UC Sunnydale. He lost track of time, like Cordelia, accurately picking off vampires and demons. They disappeared before the Initiative could ask questions, more particularly how they infiltrated what was supposed to be a secure facility. Little did they realise they would call it home, for a few years at least.

* * *

'I can't believe we called it home,' Xander commented, his wife of a month looking at him oddly.

'It was home, but it was the only way,' Cordelia said, the only reason they could talk was the helmets and microphones they were wearing.

'Pilot, take us to Wolfram and Heart in LA, we're expected,' Xander said, opening the channel to the pilot.

'Yes Sir,' the pilot replied, not expecting to have one of the First Five was rare, but two was something special. This was the type of moment that made a career, if not for a promotion, but a damned good story to tell.

'Did you call Leon?' Cordelia asked.

'Ashley gave birth, named him Chris Alexander,' Xander replied. 'They were surprised it took six months.'

'They're going to be good parents,' Cordelia started. 'What about Faith?'

'Enjoying the chance to try and steal some Slayer's for the BSAA, they've all been life savers.'

'They have.'

'There's something else, isn't there?'

'I never said thanks, on her behalf.'

'You didn't need to,' Xander said, squeezing Cordelia's hand. 'You never had to.'


	15. Merlin

Xander sat back in the chair, old age finally taking a toll on his body. He could see some small children sitting by another of the others in the home.

'Xander, why don't you tell my grand children some more stories,' John said, sitting by Xander.

'I've got plenty more,' Xander said, old features seeming to shrink for a moment.

'Come on Xander, tell us about Sunnydale,' Dominic asked, excitedly.

'Where was I last time?' Xander asked.

'Just after Alex lost his eye,' Dominic said, two other small children joining him.

* * *

Xander looked at Oz, the man looking worriedly out of the window. 'Hold on a moment.'

'Xander, what are you doing?' Oz asked, looking at clouds, knowing the moment the clouds cleared he'd change. He feared for Xander, nothing held the wolf back. He watched Xander pull something from the sky, the room brighter for a moment, then nothing.

'You'll not change,' Xander said, flicking a coin from one hand to the other. 'Heads or tails?'

'Tails,' Oz said, now feeling very confused. He looked at the coin, sure somehow it was the moon.

'Heads, just believe my friend, and all will be okay,' Xander said, turning the coin around, the moon full, but dark, its light muted, barely any leaving it. Oz twitched slightly, his arms a little hairier, but not noticeably so.

'I... thanks,' Oz said. 'Whatever you did...'

'It's nothing,' Xander said with a faint smile, walking out of the house.

* * *

'Now, is this a feast or what?' Angelus asked, looking at the crowd.

'It is indeed,' the Judge replied, stunning all of the mortals in the mall. He felt the beam stop, its power going into one being that smelt of the Fae realms, a place some demons feared to go. He felt the being move closer to him, revealing a man in simple clothing, a long white shirt and simple trousers holding a sword. The Judge studied the sword, knowing it was one of the few weapons that could harm him, no man, mortal or otherwise, had forged the blade.

'So you're the Judge?' Xander asked. 'I had thought more of you.'

'You are Fae, you will still die,' the Judge spat out, again, sending its power out, the sword absorbing the energy with no signs of stopping. The blade sparked with energy, the blue halo that appeared clear to everyone. Xander raised the sword point along the ground, a great split running towards the Judge, the vampires at his side jumping away. Long before the Judge could have moved the split reached him, dropping into the magma that flowed under the Earth's crust. The moment he entered the magma he disappeared, and great gap closed quickly, no sign it had ever been there in the first place.

Everyone in the mall looked at Xander, their eyes locked in one place, as if doubting what they saw. Xander simply shrugged, disappearing into thin air. Buffy, with Oz and Cordelia ran into the mall, seeing no sign of the Judge, or any vampires.

'What happened?' she asked, seeing everyone looking confused. She never got an answer, everyone trying their best to forget what they saw.

* * *

Xander saw the portal open, and it appeared that Angel had his soul back. He walked over to the demon statue, knocking on it with his staff. The demon eyes locked onto his, before they widened slightly.

'You, close the portal and piss off,' Xander said, glaring back at the statue.

Acathla, knowing exactly what was facing it, did as it was told, closing the portal, no sign it was ever there in the first place.

Buffy as with Angel and Giles all stared at Xander, stunned.

'You can't have...' Buffy stuttered.

'Impossible...' Giles said at the same time, Angel just blinking.

'I wasn't sure the spell would have worked, so I came here,' Xander explained.

'Portal... closed?' Buffy stuttered.

'I asked it to,' Xander countered, then faded away, nothing more than a few motes of dust in the air.

Buffy looked at Angel, then Giles, no-one having a better idea of what was going on.

* * *

'Looks, it Xander...' Larry started. Xander cut him off mid speech with a single hand gesture, two extended fingers drawn from left to right, as if cutting something. Larry made a choking noise, before coughing, trying to get his voice back.

'I'm sorry, you were saying something?' Xander asked. Larry glared at him, the glance entirely unnoticed by Xander.

'What did you do?' another member of the football team stuttered.

'Do you hear that?' Xander asked.

'What?' the same footballer asked.

'Exactly,' Xander replied, walking away.

'Restore him,' the footballer stuttered, this time far stronger than before. Xander turned around, and looked at him, after a second the footballer ran away.

'What did you do Harris?' Principle Snyder asked, seeing Xander looking too happy for his liking.

'Nothing you can undo,' Xander said, walking away from the troll, now looking alot more troll like to the students, it was if a spell had been cast on him.

* * *

'Willow, stop,' Xander said, standing between her and the shrine.

'Stop me,' Willow spat, hurling a spell that should have cut Xander into little more than shreds of fabric and skin. A wooden shield grew from his arm, nothing more than sawdust left of it.

'Willow, stop,' Xander whispered, his right hand held forward, time froze all around the pair.

'No matter how long we wait, I shall win,' Willow spat, raising her hands, attempting to break the spell, tears starting to appear on her cheeks. 'NO! I will break the pathetic spell of yours!'

'You will,' Xander said, waiting for all of Willow's rage to pour out through her magic. A moment later the spell warbled, only a few seconds passing.

'How? I am the stronger!' Willow shouted, her hair flashing red for a moment.

'Strength is not enough, belief has a great deal more power than you believe,' Xander said slowly. 'Deny me, if you will, but understand what that truly means.'

Willow focused on Xander, his forms fading into nothing, Willow's expression changing as the facts sunk through her rage. She looked at the spot where Xander stood, no sign he'd ever existed, even her memories of him fading just as he did. She broke down crying, willing all of her power to bring him back. She felt the grief from two lost friends amplify the other, till a hand touched her on the shoulder.

'Now you understand,' Xander said softly.

'How, I... unmade you...' Willow said, her voice a whisper, almost lost to the breeze.

'I'm a little tougher than that,' Xander countered. 'Weep for her, but remember her with your heart, and she lives forever.'

* * *

'Stay Xander,' Anya pleaded, looking at the horizon. She leaned slightly to the left.

'What's going on?' Xander asked, something in the air warning him.

'Stay, please, anything you want...' Anya started.

'What's going on?' Xander asked, drawing Excalibur.

'Nothing, nothing at all Xander,' Anya said.

'Is this magic yours?' Xander asked, feeling the world around him contract.

'No Xander, you have to understand...' Anya started.

'No Anya, not this, never this,' Xander spat. 'You would trust that?'

'Not trust Xander... please,' Anya said, a small tear running down her cheek.

Xander didn't answer, fading into nothing, barely escaping the magic sealing the house high in the mountains from the world. Xander looked back, the rocks forming a solid barrier, not only to sight, but all of his senses.

* * *

'So, uh, what's going on?' Buffy asked. 'Why is everyone here?'

'Xander is going to try something,' Giles said.

'Such as?' Buffy asked.

'Watch,' Xander started, waving one hand to the right, as if to compress something. Sunnydale started to sink, the buildings forced into the ground, nothing left above ground level. The vast caverns underneath the city were revealed, nothing left of the town but a large hole in the ground.

'Okay, that works,' Buffy said.

'It does the job,' Giles added, smiling at Xander.

* * *

'I don't know about you, but I want the dragon,' Angel started, only to pause when the dragon in question dropped out of the sky. The Black Thorn forces stopped, wondering what could have caused such a powerful creature to simply fall from the sky, dead. 'Wesley?'

'Don't look at me, he was dead when I arrived,' Wesley replied. 'No-one has any idea...'

'Hello,' Xander said, leaning on his staff. The Black Thorn demons all looked at Xander, even Illyria was a little awed by the amount of power that Xander was radiating.

'Xander?' Wesley asked. 'What are you doing here?'

'Helping,' Xander said simply. 'Are you actually going to start this? Or do I need to?'

As one the Black Thorn charged towards the group, Xander not having this much fun in years.

* * *

Anya staggered to the door, seeing a very older Xander. She blinked in shocked, not expecting him to ever find her.

'Anya, it's good to see you,' Xander said, leaning on a walking stick. 'Can I come in?'

Anya staggered backwards, letting Xander in. 'How... how did you find me?'

'I looked,' Xander replied.

'Why did you look for me? After everything...'

'Everything, is reason enough,' Xander said. 'I loved you then, I always will...'

'We're old,' Anya complained, Xander smiling at her oddly. He leaned in forward, both of his hands close to her face. She was blinded for a moment. If she could have seen years fled from her body in seconds, almost seventy years disappearing from her in a minute. She stepped backwards, Xander likewise younger than he was a minute previously.

'I had one last bit of magic in me,' Xander said, setting the walk stick aside.

'We've got a lot of catching up to do,' Anya said, her voice full of life and lust.

* * *

As ever, my sources.

11. A Force to be Reckoned With – Galen Kento/Starkiller from Force Unleashed

12. Dragon Ninja – Ryu Hayabusa, Ninja Gaiden one and two.

13. Commander Xander – Alexander Sheppard, Mass Effect 1

14. Resident Chaos – Chris Redfield, Jill Valentine, Leon S Kennedy, Resident Evil series, with a focus on 5.

15. Merlin – Merlin, based mainly on the miniseries with Sam Neill in it. A hint of the later part of Season 10 SG1 in there as well, but nothing major.


	16. Immortal Quest

Xander had a feeling he shouldn't have made that bet with Buffy. He knew he failed the test, it was something he thought Willow would have trouble with, and even then he was betting on an A minus. Buffy said A, because it was Willow, and she was right, by one mark. Her side of it was spandex, which since he lost, wasn't going to happen. His side of the bet was far worse, Halloween he had to wear a skirt, he'd gotten her to include kilts, as they weren't skirts in his mind, but still he didn't have many options. The toga just wasn't flattering, and there was no way he'd wear a kilt out during the windiest part of the year. He wished there was something he could wear that would keep to the spirit of the bet, and still keep his dignity. He looked through the costume store, finding what he guessed was hoplite armour in a corner.

His thoughts quickly turned to their shared history class, and the fact they were covering the Greeks at the moment, more particularly Sparta. This costume would be perfect, and it's not like anyone would recognise him with the helmet. Across the breastplate a pattern seemed pressed into it, the details hard to tell in the full light. He collected the costume, spending a little more than he would have liked at first, till he was given the red cape, spear, shield, bow and strangely enough, two swords, one short sword, xiphos, if he remembered correctly, and a much longer blade.

* * *

Principle Snyder looked at the students of his school, and complained, loudly. They all ignored him, stunned by one person walking into the school wearing armour. Not only that he, going by the arms and legs, was wearing an armoured skirt. Muttered remarks reached his ears of what some of the girls were thinking, and they were far too young to have any thoughts like that, let alone go through with them.

He saw Summers and Rosenberg freeze for a moment as they realised it was their friend, Harris, who was in the armour. The spear tip left a mark in the wall, Harris putting the shield down for a break, one that didn't last a minute.

* * *

Xander was deeply worried. He was surrounded by vampires, which was normally a bad situation, but Buffy was not around to save him. The strangest thing was that these vampires seemed to be very happy at the place they were at, which was out of spear shot, if Xander guessed the distance right.

'Do you want to end up like Frank?' one vampire asked, a chorus of negative answers following the question, except for one objection, that vampire charged at Xander, instinct guiding his hands and feet, smashing the shield into vampire, his spear quickly finding the heart.

'Slayer!' another vampire shouted, before the group ran away, Xander left in heavy armour, his arm almost dead from holding the shield.

'Xander?' Buffy asked, still wearing her costume.

'Uh, yeah?' Xander replied slowly.

'Do you remember anything?' Buffy asked, her look said the questions would continue.

'No,' Xander replied, Buffy starting to speak again the moment he finished.

'So why did you have to go as a Spartan? All I'm hearing about is how _you_ decided to clean out every cemetery!'

'It wasn't me?' Xander ventured, Buffy clearly ready to start on a rant.

'Buffy, we can discuss this in the morning,' Giles said, cringing when Xander thanked him. 'Not again, please Xander.'

'Try not to G-man,' Xander replied, carrying the shield over his back, his spear held loosely.

* * *

Xander was surprised to find the school had a weights gym, he'd been using it for at least a month now, whoever he was had really passed over. He woke up around dawn and trained, at first it was only an hour of light work, but now he was used to it, it was nearly three hours before breakfast, and he's taken a liking to proper Greek food, finding a small cafe that made everything he could want.

On top of that he started to remember more of the persona the costume carried, and it was exceedingly violent. He'd listened to the news as he ever did, people complaining about a game being too violent, but it was soft next to what he knew. He'd gone out with Buffy about a month and a half after Halloween, and all of the vampires seemed glad it was the Slayer they were facing, not Xander.

The other change he noticed was with his status with Cordelia, while not a couple, they got along reasonably well. She always seemed to have something to say, but never could. He guessed he might have stopped someone attacking her, Larry still not having returned to the school, only three weeks out of the coma. At least once a week she would come in after he'd finished his morning workout, never more than three times, for a friendly chat. Xander looked at the entrance to the gym, seeing Cordelia walking towards him.

'When did you stop shaving?' she asked, some part of her mask for school already on.

Xander ran a hand over his face, stubble covering his cheeks. 'I haven't...'

'Oh...' Cordelia replied, both of them very confused for the moment. 'Sorry about that, I just thought...'

'It's okay, I haven't seen a mirror today,' Xander replied. 'How was your weekend?'

* * *

'It's the Judge, he's assembled,' Buffy complained. 'Nothing forged can kill him.'

'Buffy, we're going to work something out, what can you think of that's not forged?' Giles asked. Both turned to look at Xander, his polished shield reflecting so might light it almost blinded them.

'We could use this, or just hack him into lots of little pieces, then burn them,' Xander said. 'Or blow him up.'

'That could work, what do you think?' Buffy asked Giles.

'It could, I just wonder where do we get a rocket launcher?' Giles asked.

'Who needs technology when I've got an idea,' Xander said, smiling. 'This is what I need...'

Three and a half days later, Buffy was looking at something she couldn't describe, but quickly identified when it was used.

'A hand held, pump action flame thrower, and Greek fire,' Buffy said looking at Xander.

'It worked,' Xander countered.

'Rather effectively too,' Giles added.

'I didn't know it would smell so bad, at least there aren't any witnesses,' Xander added.

'It's still in my clothes,' Willow muttered.

'Mine too, next time, I don't want to ask for your help,' Buffy said,

* * *

Faith looked at Xander, something about him set everyone else apart. She looked at him, tracing what muscles she could through his shirt, which right now was pulled tight across his chest. She'd already slept with a few footballers at the high school, but none of them came close to Xander. It was like he was a god amongst mortals. She shook her head, something about his smile, something in it that said this is who I am and you're not going to change it.

She trained with Xander, who seemed to run classes on the weekend to teach others how to fight like he did. They always seemed to be full, Xander pointing to others to help the beginners, while she generally stayed with him, working through the drills. To her surprise, he'd rented out a building, and sorted the insurance out and was running a regular class, the interior set up a Greek style, something she liked. He seemed to be doing so well, he'd moved out of home for the moment, leading to a party she barely remembered. Xander for whatever reason outdrank her, and since she was a Slayer, with all that entailed, was an amazing feat.

* * *

Faith did not like Angelus, not that she believed that it had a soul. She didn't think the Mayor was so bad, he understood what happened to Finch, not that he'd asked her to kill anyone yet. When he asked her to take a shot at Angelus, it was easy, that was one monster the world shouldn't have to endure. She didn't see why Xander and Buffy treated him differently to other vampires, they were all the same in her book, not that Kakistos really counted as a vampire. He was closer to demon, not that he'd survived Sunnydale. As much as she didn't want to believe it, the rumours she heard made it sound like Xander defeated him, and he was feared by the vampires.

What she did know, it was clear something else was in town, the obituaries were shrinking, and so far no-one at the school had died this year, which was saying something. There were the occasional demons that turned up, to face this bronze armoured beast, as they called it, but none of them were successful. She saw Angelus walking with Buffy, and Xander, taking aim she set her sights on the heart of the creature, though the arrow was poisoned, she wanted to see him dust. She fired, all of a sudden Xander pushing Angelus out of the way, taking the arrow above the kidney. Xander seemed to look at her, his ever present smile for a moment before the pain arrived.

Faith panicked, she didn't know what to do, the bow falling from her limp fingers, before she decided to leave town. She desperately wanted to apologise to Xander, make him understand why she did what she did. She wanted him to survive, him one of the few she'd take to her bed twice. Perhaps there was something more to it, she didn't know, her thoughts so jumbled all she could do was think about escape.

The dawn found her on a train heading east, not sure where it was going she could only hope to stay one step ahead of the police.

* * *

'Xander, you're hurt,' Buffy shrieked, everyone running for cover as they saw the shaft sticking out of Xander.

'Don't touch it, poisoned,' Xander said looking at Angel. 'It was meant for you.'

'Faith, where is she?' Buffy asked.

'It was an accident Buffy,' Xander said, repeating his words. 'Let it go.'

'We shouldn't have trusted her!' Buffy said loudly, her tone all Xander needed to hear. He ripped the arrow out of his body, his hand pressing down as hard as he could.

'No Buffy, it was an accident,' Xander said, standing up, the pain in his eyes obvious. 'You never gave her a chance, she'll come back one day, and we'll find out the truth, but not while you act like a child.'

An ambulance arrived, Xander walking proudly towards it, as if he'd won a great battle. The officers inside looked stunned as Xander sat the stretcher, almost relaxed about how badly he was wounded. They worked for a moment, heading off to the hospital, Buffy telling the police who took another few minutes to arrive exactly who it was.

* * *

'Remember you said something about not wanting my help again?' Xander asked, adding another drum of Greek fire to the group. Angel setting the charge to detonate them, everyone backing out of the room slowly, the school was going down when the Mayor did.

The Graduation ceremony started, Xander having only his swords, as the spear and shield were far too large to hide. Not to mention what little was left of the vampire crew the Mayor had, was dusted the night before. Xander saw the change starting, standing he drew the longer of his two swords, his armour shining under the moonlight. In a flash the snake form of the Mayor dashed towards him, Buffy failing to distract the Mayor, after all it was hard to see when you're eye is not in its socket and on the blade of a sword.

Xander ran through the school, the snake following him quickly, Xander going straight through the window, the faintest hints of 'well, gosh' before the school was engulfed in flames, the smell of cooking snake the only thing everyone could smell for days.

* * *

'So where's Xander?' Willow asked, seeing Riley instead of Xander. Riley's shirt was torn, as if he's cut himself badly, but the wound looked seared.

'He's helping,' Riley said slowly, not sure if he could believe what he was seeing back in the central area. 'He said I should be a part of the ritual.'

'Hurry, we don't have much time,' Giles said, Willow starting to chant.

Outside, by the prison cells, Xander was fighting, and largely it was only Xander fighting, the demons that had escaped just focused in on him, and they weren't doing too well. The Initiative had managed to regroup, and walked to the edge of the pit with the cells, only to see a true Spartan fighting, sword flashing, the spear lodged in the wall, through a demon, the green blood of the creature leaking out and down the shaft.

They all looked at Xander, his laughter reaching their ears easily, the long sword cutting through two vampires, the spike of a Polgara demon bouncing off the shield, Xander smashing the shield into the demon, the bone breaking, his next smash aimed at the head of it as it went down, the neck at an unnatural angle, the sword claiming another creature.

'At last, a challenge!' Xander shouted in joy, the Spartan in him enjoying the brawl.

* * *

'She's a what?' Buffy asked of Quentin Tavers.

'A god,' he repeated. 'A hell god driven from her realm...'

Every paused, their gaze focused on Xander, who was singing in Greek for the moment, before whistling. He was fully armoured with a head on the edge of his spear. The hair was very familiar to Buffy.

'Is that Glory?' everyone asked at the same time.

'Hectate, and yes,' Xander replied, still not sure of what was going on.

'How did you do that?' Quentin asked. 'She can't be harmed by mortal weapons.'

'Then I guess I have immortal ones,' Xander countered. He pointed the spear, and by extension, the head, at Quentin, who didn't know what to think. 'I don't suppose Giles could have his job back? And a pay rise while you're at it?'

The other Watchers in the room all stared at the head of Hectate, and then at Xander, every few seconds darting between the two. They could do nothing but blink, soon enough the others joined them, Xander the only person in the room to be able to speak.

* * *

'You don't have the space Xander,' Buffy countered. 'None of the potentials would want to stay with your parents.'

'I didn't mean there,' Xander said. 'Remember the plans I was working on?'

'No...'

'With my business, well, I've built a villa, in the Sunnydale hills.'

'Okay, so...'

'Half an hour out of town, it's quiet, and no neighbours. I think I'll plant an olive grove,' Xander said, throwing the last part in. 'Yeah, an olive grove, and some goats.'

'How many rooms do you have?' Kennedy asked, looking at the others, then back at Xander.

'You'll have you have your own space,' Xander replied.

'I'm gone,' one of the potentials said the moment he finished, the rest, except Kennedy, joining her.

'Pack your gear, Giles and I will drive you over,' Xander said, the villa had three bathrooms, including his own. He might consider himself a Spartan, but he did like modern toilets and showers.

* * *

'I don't trust her, but Xander won't listen to me,' Buffy complained to Giles.

'Perhaps we should trust Xander on this,' Giles countered. 'You saw how Faith looked at him, let's not forget what happened when he took over their training.'

'I was doing a good job!' Buffy exclaimed, clearly missing what Giles meant.

'You know what I mean Buffy, could you have gotten them to clear nest?'

'Eventually.'

'Xander is the best person to train them for the moment, as for Faith, I'm sure we'll find out the truth in time.'

* * *

'Xander... I'm sorry,' Faith repeated. 'I heard what I wanted to hear, after the way Buffy was behaving.'

'I understand Faith, don't trouble yourself,' Xander replied. 'I want you to take the girls out on a patrol, let them know you like they do Buffy, prove to yourself you're fighting the good fight.'

'I'll try, will she ever trust me?'

'I hope she will one day,' Xander said, squeezing Faith's hand. She smiled gently, for a moment. 'I'll stay, for the meeting, then I'll start, but first I want some dinner.'

Xander smiled, the goat spit roast should be read to eat, as with the rest of his meal.

* * *

Xander stood at the edge of Lake Sunnydale, as it was lake now. Whatever the Hellmouth did, it blocked a natural aquifer from rising. Now his villa was on a hillside, five minutes from a large lake, one he used to irrigate his olive groves and water the goats. He built a small jetty, he and Faith eating out on it on many occasions, some of the time not just eating. He still lost the occasional kid to the coyotes, but mostly they seemed to be happy with the scraps he left out for them.

The olive oil produced here had really taken off, some chefs using only his. Everything he could think of was perfect, Faith was in a good place, and had a mind for business like no other. While Xander still ran the class he did, she came up with the idea to build a bed and breakfast, the small villas almost ready for the first guests. The new town of Sunnydale, built on the other side of the lake, was peaceful, but still vampires and demons came seeking traces of the old Hellmouth and the First.

He remembered the last time Faith went out on patrol, Kennedy like a younger sister to her. It had been at least five and a half months, Faith's pregnancy something he would have never expected. He wondered for a moment what would happen when their child was born. She'd not had an ultrasound, their discussion about names occurring in bursts. Faith stepped beside him, Xander stepping back to hold her, the moonlight all they needed.

* * *

Xander had waited a long time for this day. It had been over five hundred years since he was born, his weapons and armour those of an immortal, guessed by a god to walk the Earth until he was beaten in battle by an equal. He could feel the wound in his chest, his blood leaking out into the shirt he was wearing under his armour. He sat on the tree stump, the sun rising in the distance, both his hands on the haft of his spear the only way he could himself up right.

The last battle he fought in he encountered a Persian, one who he fought against at Thermopylae, cursed with memories as long as his. He'd had a good life, many good lives, by his old standard, his groves still going strong, the bed and breakfast may have gone, but a small resort stood in its place for almost one hundred years, before that too, was upgraded, a world renowned hotel, no more than one hundred rooms, stood in that's place, and had for the last two hundred years. His family had followed in what became his tradition, each one of them more than able to survive what the Spartans endured as children, Faith first having twins, then a daughter, a born Slayer.

After that he stayed with them, having everything he could want, except one thing. Slowly, but surely, Faith had aged, their birthdays flying past, but he still looked as if he'd just broken twenty five, while she was well into her forties. He'd left one night, the local papers running stories on her and Xander, none of them flattering.

He'd travelled to Greece, going to all of the places he remembered, what little he could find long since ruined, if not totally lost to history. He wondered through the Mediterranean, by foot and boat, tracing the Anabasis, wondering for as long as he could. Each time he returned to Athens he was tempted to fly back, only returning to find Faith on her death bed. She forgave him, understanding the curse, telling him he was a grandfather, and great grandfather. She died in his arms, but with a smile on her face, one like what he perpetually carried.

Again, Xander went back to wondering, teaching those interested how to fight as the Spartans did, fighting the forces of the Underworld when he could, a new set of myths about a soldier that wouldn't die emerging, eventually being turned into books, movies and a series of comic books. He laughed at the irony of that, coughing up bloody phlegm, before he saw the sun rise properly. For a moment he could see both worlds, the fields of Elysium and a figure for him waiting there, and Earth, with towers in the distance breaking the shape of the sun, the buildings glowing like spires of pure diamond.

* * *

'Dad, dad, there's a new statue behind the villa,' the younger of the two male Harris in the villa shouted, the elder waking slowly.

'Where?' the elder asked, following his sun in the early morning light to the statue, of a wounded hoplite, a Spartan he guessed. He was sitting a tree trunk, his shield and helm at his side, supporting himself on his spear waiting for the morning and his death. The Spartan was smiling slightly, as if he'd lived a full life, and no more living to do, finding peace in the end.

'See Dad?' the younger asked.

'I see,' the elder replied, knowing magic was at hand, but not from where. Perhaps this was his ancestor, the one that he didn't believe existed, somehow cursed to an immortal life.

* * *

A/N: Longer than usual, but a good one I hope.


	17. The Force, United

Elizabeth Anne summers was very confused, somehow she'd been pulled from the ball her father, the Colonel, was attending to celebrate his promotion. That had been a while back now, this strange knight in dull armour with a glowing blue sword keeping brigands from her. Then everything changed again, she was back at the ball, everyone looking at her as if she'd just fainted.

Back in Sunnydale Buffy was just as stunned as she was before, Xander standing between her and a group of vampires, Spike in the lead. The first thing she noticed was that they were afraid of Xander for some reason, like he'd become a Slayer, or equivalent.

'This is bollocks,' Spike muttered. 'Bloody chaos mages don't ever think do they?'

Xander waited a second, Spike pushing one of his minions towards Xander, trying to start a fight. A quick slash across the neck left one headless vampire, the head blinking in shock for a moment, till it was dust before it hit the ground. The other vampires ran away, comments on lightsabres and Jedi reaching Buffy, and to her shock, Xander.

'Want to explain?' Buffy asked, both confused and angry, two things Xander didn't like from her.

* * *

'We should give Xander a chance to explain,' Giles repeated, Buffy still ranting about how he went out on a patrol himself.

'No, he's going to get himself killed, or end up like Jessie,' Buffy said, her tone annoying Willow. 'We can't lose him.'

'Xander gained something, and I for one won't turn down his help,' Giles said. 'Assuming he offers it.'

'Yeah, you should have seen him on Halloween, he was faster than you,' Willow added.

'That's impossible,' Buffy replied, everyone at the table floating in the air, their chairs steady. The table meanwhile was pressed against the ceiling, plaster dust slowly falling to the ground.

'What about that?' Xander asked, his eyes shut, focusing on holding the chairs still.

'That's amazing!' Willow said. 'How did you do that? Magic?'

'Not magic,' Xander said, everyone now back on the ground. 'Damn, I was thinking about the table...' He yawned, clearly tired. 'And I've got a long way to go yet.'

Buffy blinked, trying to process what Xander said, which sounded like he would be getting alot more powerful. Giles looked worried, while Willow was confused for a moment before she worked it out.

'It was Revan?' Willow asked. Xander nodded his reply. 'So what about Bastila?'

'I don't know, the guy...' Xander started, Giles adding Ethan Rayne's name with some strong adjectives. 'Ethan said it was part of a pair, but he didn't have the other. That's why it was so cheap.'

* * *

The Judge was bored with the department store. He'd prefer to face knights, like the ones that placed him in the box. He might not have the power to take on an army at the moment, after this feeding, he'd be ready. He looked into the crowd, one glowing with power, every step he took seemed to radiate through the world. This was one that would prove the greatest threat. He pushed through the crowd, screams of horror and disbelief echoing, Angelus ranting about how good food was running away.

He looked at the one mortal who could threaten him, suddenly two blue blades emerged from metal cylinders, Angelus speechless for a moment. He stuttered a word, Jede, or Jedi, it was hard to tell, before Xander surged forward, so fast no-one could track him, the longer of the two blades cutting through the chest, the shorter of the blades going across the throat, the head falling towards the floor, only to go through the longer blade as it brought down for a cut across the legs.

Another moment later the lightsabres where turned off, no sign of them at all on Xander, slightly dazed looks the only thing around him.

* * *

Xander studied Faith, the younger Slayer radiating anger like a psychotic Sith Lord or Lady.

'Sit down, please, tell me what happened,' Xander said slowly, Faith's eyes focused on the door. 'It's just me, after... I wanted to give you a chance.' Xander thought about Faith, after the first time it had been very much him in the lead in the bedroom. He'd not had the best year, finally moving away from his parents, with help from Giles who was a good roommate. He'd even talked some sense into the older man when it came to Jenny, or Janna, though she preferred Jenny.

They'd given him, after a few weeks, her old apartment, the two somehow funding his new independent life. Faith helped him a little, and he wanted to return that favour, as many times over as he could.

'You for real?' Faith asked. Xander nodded his reply. 'No cops, nothing?'

'No-one, just us,' Xander said, Faith sighing as she sat down. All of the anger disappeared, and what Xander guessed, was the mask she wore. Xander wasn't surprised by that fact, Buffy had been less than patient, or understanding of Faith and where she'd come from.

'He came out of nowhere, he felt like a vamp somehow, I didn't even think, I just reacted,' Faith explained slowly.

'I understand,' Xander said, thinking of some Revan's memories. He'd seen Mandalorians cut down their foes, and others who were just in the way. In the chaos of battle, there was little anyone could do to keep themselves wholly calm and entirely aware.

'Buffy...' Faith started, the feeling of anger spiking for a moment. 'You think...'

'She doesn't, at least not enough,' Xander replied, Faith laughing for a moment, but it was a sad laugh. 'You can trust me, you've got to decide what you're going to do yourself, I can't tell you what to do, do what your heart tells you is right.'

Faith looked at Xander, hearing some faint sirens in the distance. Xander was sure it wasn't police, but the thought of it seemed to not scare Faith as much as it did before. 'Give me a day, to think?'

'You have all the time you want,' Xander replied, a way to hopefully make Buffy understand what happened that night coming to mind.

* * *

Buffy looked at the basement, seeing nothing but broken pallets and thin metal sheets.

'Just why am I doing this?' Buffy asked Giles, Xander sitting and meditating, her Slayer senses spiked, warning her of vampires in the area.

'It's a test Xander designed,' Giles said, passing her a wooden stake, the tip painted black. 'Go through it, stake only the vampires.'

'Easy,' Buffy said, the first three vampires falling to her stake before one of the targets rose behind it, Buffy's stake clean through the mark over the heart, the shock in her eyes the only sign of her reaction. The vampires not only had the fangs out, but had a V over the heart. This target was a normal person, the mark over the heart a H, not that you could tell it now.

'Now you see what Faith went through, you should have given her more time,' Xander said, rising, the vampire feeling Buffy had disappearing quickly. She followed Xander, wondering where Faith was, and if she'd really gone over to the Mayor, like she first thought.

* * *

Xander looked at the Troll of Sunnydale, his expression entirely flat. He didn't think he could be so vindictive to make Xander do something like this. He was sure his grades had risen, after all Revan wasn't an idiot, and his memory was far stronger than it used to be. He'd waited for the bus, the one that was running late as it was now lunch and he was hungry. He'd wished he had some more breakfast, his thoughts scattered he walked back towards the school, and some shade, accidentally walking into someone. He stopped to apologise, but again his thoughts scattered. He looked at the girl, woman almost, in front of him and memories surged to the forefront of his mind, the duel on the Star Forge, the times shared on the Ebon Hawk, their bond repaired in a second.

'Hello,' Xander whispered, the two could get no closer. 'I...'

'I know, so do I,' she replied, their kiss lost in a sea of cat calls as the bus Xander was waiting on finally arrived. They parted, both smiling widely. Xander reached for her hand, their Force senses rapidly recognising the touch of the other. Xander was sure of her name now, Claire just as sure of his.

The Troll looked less than happy, Xander smiling widely as he introduced himself, Claire, and showed the newly arrived students through the school. All that time their hands never parted, Giles noticing something, while Willow and Cordelia studied Claire intently. They both couldn't care less, that they had finally found the other was all that mattered.

* * *

Claire over the final months in the school year had come to be as important a part of the group, as Xander and Buffy. While Buffy now took her training seriously, she still couldn't move beyond Faith leaving Sunnydale. Xander was not the only one to ask for patience, their answer coming in the mail, with what little Faith knew about the Mayor and his plans, the Books stolen and sent to the Watcher's Council, Giles getting more financial support as his reputation had been restored to some degree.

Xander thought on the letter, no postmark on it, but could see a mark, with the word penitentiary pressed into the letter. He knew Claire did, and guessed Giles did as well. Willow, Cordelia and Buffy missed it, though they had the better light to spot it.

Though one part of his plans had been defeated, others still went forward, the same effect through different means achieved. In the end it was Xander and Claire who defeated the Mayor, their lightsabres cutting through the scales as if they were paper.

* * *

'So, the plan,' Xander said, detailing every step to the others, Willow, with Giles and Riley would cast the spell to combine their powers with Buffy, Riley making it clear what he should be doing, but after the behavioural control chip had been removed and the wound healed in seconds by Xander, his complaints largely disappeared. Xander didn't say what he or Claire would be doing, stunned when she stayed in Sunnydale, totally sure she would have gone back to her parents. As it turned out that night a group of chaos mages decided to combine their chants to Janus, many cities experiencing what Sunnydale did.

Buffy had this look that said she would do the work, but it disappeared quickly when it was pointed out that she might be the one to deal with the big bad, the lesser bads' were there in very large numbers.

The operation as Riley dubbed it, could not have gone better, Adam little more than ash on the dawn, with many of those who served in the Initiative, as per their wishes. The many demons and vampires in the cells never reached the surface, or an escape, four lightsabre blades cutting them down, and only them.

* * *

Xander looked at Claire, the small ceremony all they needed. She still wore the veil, though it was pushed back, her soft auburn hair glowing in the sunset. He kissed her gently, wondering what the new year would bring, his current job as a carpenter keeping him busy and happy. He looked back over the guests, Faith and Buffy staying on opposite sides of the room, but everything else couldn't be better.

* * *

A/N: I know, a revisit, of sorts, but it's a different era. While not the full series, well, up to the end of four and near 1950 words. I don't want to bore you guys.


	18. Top of the Food chain

Spike was in the unusual position of running away from something. He wasn't sure what, he'd not seen anything, but when one of his vampires just disappeared, dust gently floating to ground a few seconds later, he knew there was something else in the area. Another second later another minion exploded, this time a blue bolt appearing from somewhere near the top of the warehouse. The sound of metal striking concrete echoed for a moment, no vampire daring to do anything. He didn't know how long they waited, whatever it was must have left. Spike moved forward, something picking him up the throat, a very faint shimmer all he could see. He heard a growl, before being thrown into the warehouse wall, leaving a dent in the thin metal.

'You sodding bastard,' Spike spat out, charging at the being, this time he was clothes lined, a large foot over his chest. He felt the pressure for a moment, then like before was ignored. He wondered what it was, his followers not sure of what to do. They looked at where he was, deciding that retreating to the sewer was a good idea he followed them, trying to think of the best one to stake once the almost bone crushing pressure disappeared.

Elsewhere in Sunnydale Giles looked at Ethan Rayne, Willow having disappeared when the spell was broken. He wondered why she looked so pale when she found out everyone who bought their costumes at the store had changed into it.

* * *

'Where's Xander?' Buffy asked, a week since anyone had seen him. 'Come on Wills, I bet he called you.'

'He's not at home, and he's not phoned me, or anything,' Willow replied quickly. 'I told you what he went as... I hope's he's still...'

Willow didn't need to finish her sentence, a very human, if taller and bulkier Xander walked into the library, dreadlocks resting on the top of his shoulders. Xander sat at the table, the chair breaking under him, but he remained in the position he was in, standing slowly he looked at the remains of the chair, a flicker of annoyance crossing his features.

'May I ask what happened?' Giles asked, watching Xander collect what was left of the chair and carry it to the bin, a large splinter cutting his hand. Everyone watched the fluorescent blood drop to the floor. In each of their minds, it was red, but a red that did not belong to human blood.

'Xander?' Buffy asked, Xander looking to study the cut. The blood continued to flow for a moment, the wound out of sight. Xander wiped the blood off, no sign he'd ever had been cut.

'Buffy?' Xander asked in reply, every pair of eyes looking at him worriedly.

* * *

Angelus was not impressed with the state of Sunnydale. It seemed like every single vampire that his minions sired was dusted within three days. So of course, he did his research, and found a demon that was like no other. No mortal human could touch the Judge, and it took nearly one hundred knights, their entire order defeated, just to hack him apart. He couldn't be happier with the crowd of stunned onlookers as the Judge made his presence known, having fed on a few homeless people so his powers weren't entirely useless.

Only there was now a problem. Something out there, somehow, had managed to turn the Judge into a spineless corpse hanging for the ceiling of his lair. There was no sign anyone had been inside, except for himself, yet the Judge was spineless, as attested by the massive tear in the back.

Also there was no sign of the head, bits of skin and flesh seemed to sit in one corner of the warehouse, but nothing else. The armour also had a large hole in the torso, as if it was burnt from a massive burst of energy, a weapon like no other he'd seen except in the cinema.

He kicked a broken pallet, the wood flying away into the depths of the warehouse. The creature would pay, his thoughts turning to the zeppo of the group, and where he'd disappeared to. That would show the Slayer who was in charge.

* * *

Principle Snyder was not a fan of school yard violence, especially when it was against one of the best things Sunnydale High had, it's football teams. He pushed past the students, Rosenberg and her peroxide blonde friend constantly calling the name of their friend. Harris was looking bored, one footballer in each hand, their feet off the ground. Another footballer charged at Xander, knocked to the ground when Xander used the quarterback like an oversized punching glove. He let the quarterback fall to the ground, everyone watching Xander intently.

'What did she say?' Xander asked slowly, a figure behind crying softly, one strap looking like it had been torn. Snyder thought she was one of the cheerleaders, but he couldn't be sure.

'Harris, I'll have you expelled for this!' Snyder shouted, Xander's expression the only reply he needed. 'Out! Expect the police when you get home!'

Xander walked past Snyder, deliberately shouldering past the principle, driving the smaller man to the ground. The crying girl was held by Summers, Willow talking to Giles, her stutter obvious.

Giles remained silent, though the look was obvious. This was the moment that could end his career, if only the Mayor could step in.

* * *

The Mayor wondered how much people really knew what was going on in Sunnydale, apparently there was a group of hunters here. Not only where they effective, but they were brutal as well. Kakistos, one of the few vampires that he respected, was dusted as if he was freshly sired. Accounts differ on how he died, there were only two accounts he could find. The currently unavailable Mr Trick, busy negotiating with a demon clan, said that he was quite simply ripped apart, picked up and spun through walls as if he was a child in weight, and the walls made of paper. The other account, that vampire dust on the younger Slayer's shirt four nights ago said that a pair of blades appeared from nowhere, cutting through the elder vampire like a hot knife through butter. Somehow Kakistos had turned that one of the blades lodged in his body, his attempts to kill his attacker leading to the brawl that destroyed that warehouse.

He thought about the rumours from the last year, the Judge, perhaps the toughest demon Richard Wilkins had ever heard of, was spineless, literally, the being that killed it using demonic weapons, as none forged by man would harm him. This left very little options for him to consider, and none of his attempts to find facts left him any good answers.

He wondered what happened to Mr Finch, as it was hard to find good assistants, especially ones that could deal with the supernatural. A rumour had reached him, of him with the two Slayers and Harris on the edge of Sunnydale, but he couldn't confirm anything, even that rumour was at least third hand. He looked up, a demon made of shadow and bone storming into his office.

'You die, trick us!' it growled, the broken English clear in tone. 'You send other to attack!'

'Gosh,' Richard started, wondering how he would be able to talk himself out of this one. He needed to think for a second. 'I only have your clan working me.'

The demon seemed to pause for a moment, the face was known to his clan, and there was no way his species forgot a face. 'If you lie...'

'Yes, yes, torment, torture and the like,' Richard said, with a slight smile at the end. 'Perhaps we can hunt this other together?'

The demon smiled, many rows of teeth appearing for a second. 'Eat his flesh?'

'Of course,' Richard replied, the strangest feeling of being watched for a moment, a shimmer on the edge of a building on the other side road all he saw, but there was no way he could tell if it was his imagination, or something really was there. Perhaps he'd have the police check that rooftop tomorrow.

-

Adam was not one to waste flesh, yet he found countless demons in the cave that was attached to his section of the facility full of bodies, hung by their feet from the ceiling. He walked through the bodies, each one looking as if its spine had been ripped out of its back, nothing left of any of the heads. He wondered if he could use the body parts, Mother's plan still going to go ahead, though she would not appreciate what he would do. He would bring a new order to the world, driving the unnatural from it.

He continued down the cave, holes in the cave wall looked blasted out, yet the skulls within entirely untouched, all traces of flesh blasted from them. Another moment later he could sense two people at the entrance to the cave, a presence suddenly in front of him. He couldn't see anything but the gentlest hint of a shimmer, a single blade appearing. He studied it, not recognising it in his database of weapons, the chain gun out, the bullets having no effect. Adam guessed the being smiled.

A moment later the two halves of Adam fell in opposite directions, the uranium core neatly cut in two, as with the rest of the body. The being, now visible, studied the creature, pulling one piece with each arm deeper into the cave.

'The spell said Adam was here,' Willow said, her voice echoing in the cave.

'Alright, if only Giles was here,' Buffy complained, her voice echoing just like Willows.

'What about Xander? You never give him a chance?' Willow asked.

'He's got no powers, sure he's strong, but that doesn't mean...' Buffy said, her words trailing off. She looked at the demon bodies, throwing up after a few seconds. She studied the wounds on them once she'd emptied her stomach, a being of great strength, far beyond her own, had ripped these apart. The smell of gore permeated the room, Willow pale, but still keeping her lunch.

'We should call Giles,' Willow said, pulling out her mobile phone. She walked back outside, her stomach struggling with the smell. Buffy joined her quickly, hoping this had nothing to do with the other demon that seemed to live in Sunnydale. She'd seen the reaction to her, sighs of relief that it was only a Slayer, not the Hunter, as they dubbed the other being.

* * *

Faith followed Xander, and she had almost been discovered again. She wondered how he'd able to even sense her, many of the demons entirely blind when it came to her and Buffy's status. She'd been in Sunnydale nearly three years now, and she still hadn't worked out Xander. At first, she'd jumped him, and never had a better night with a man. He had stamina, strength and the memory of their night still left her sore. They shared a bed a few other times, but it didn't seem to be a regular thing. She'd also spied on him working, lifting loads that other men shuddered at, one construction site Xander lifting what looked to be nearly two hundred pounds without breaking a sweat. He carried it like he carried her, no sign it was causing him any difficulty.

She stopped suddenly, Xander looking as if he was going to sneeze, then he touched his wrist and was gone. Faith thought she heard something hum for a moment, her feet swept from under her, the unmistakeable smell of Xander in front of her, but no sign he was there.

He appeared from nothing, a wave of something passing over his body, Faith looking scared at his expression, eyes so lethal she didn't dare to move under their gaze.

'I know the question, and it's yes,' Xander said.

Faith remained silent, thinking of the times she'd seen Xander fight, taking hits that would have left her reeling, especially from Glory, or the Troll Hammer, in one case, both.

'What are you?' Faith asked after a minute.

'A predator, just like you,' Xander said, his grin sending both excitement and terror through Faith. She sat up, wondering what Xander was walking towards.

* * *

The First liked this body, and it liked how evil the soul was. It had an energy like no other. It moved through Sunnydale, the Turok-Han around it feeling edgy for some reason. With the Slayer's activated, and well trained, even they fell in numbers that were far from pleasing. As much as it could do to stop the Slayers, the other occupants of Sunnydale fleeing a few weeks ago, still the Slayer's stayed. One of the group, Xander, seemed to be the strongest being the First ever knew of, or about. He seemed to hunt like no other demon or human it knew.

Nothing else seemed to have the same reasons to hunt that he did. For him it was always a test of some type. To describe it as a game would be wrong, but then to say it was a duty also felt wrong. Whatever was controlling the mortal delighted in finding tough opponents, and slaying them rather brutally. It was a shame that he and one slayer seemed to be together. There was no way he would be convinced to serve its desires.

The First stopped, three of the Turok-Han dissolving in front of it, more blue bolts reaching their targets, the Turok-Han exploding into dust, before there was only the First standing there. A moment past, the school now in sight, a vehicle racing away from it. The ground started to shake, brilliant blue flames appearing from the cracks in the ground, everything swept away by the blast, Sunnydale now nothing but smoking ruins at the bottom of a large dry lake bed, even the sign on the very outskirts lost to the blast.

Xander climbed into the battered Charger, Faith far better behind the wheel than the first thought. She'd gunned the engine again, dropping a gear, little did Xander know the first stop would be a motel for the night, before they regrouped.


End file.
